The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), today expressed alarm at a spate of recent threats delivered via SMS messages to the mobile phone of journalist Milorad Bojovic from the Serbian weekly NS reporter.

According to Bojovic, since Nov. 29 he has received more than 30 SMS message, sent from different phone numbers, threatening that he will be beaten and liquidated. He said he assumes that the threats are connected to stories published in NS reporter.

SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic called on Serbian police to start an investigation into the case immediately.

“We have in Serbia a numerous of unsolved cases where journalist have been killed, threatened with bomb-attacks or physically attacked,” he said. “It is an obligation of the Serbian state to solve these cases from the past and to start a serious investigation connected to this new case.”

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South East Europe.