Mayor Novi Sad Žarko Mićin chose Vuk Raonic as his assistant, a man whom they journalists marked as the attacker Mirko Todorović, cameraman of the Juronjuz newsroom.
On the official website of the City of Novi Sad, among the mayor's assistants, Raonic was listed on the first place of the list of mayor's assistants on December 9, who, according to the portal 021.rs, would have been elected as an assistant before Zarka Micina, that journalists at the session where the new mayor was elected did not recognize him as the attacker of the then Juronjuz Srbija cameraman Mirko Todorović.
In the videos that have been published, you can see a larger person, with long goatees tied in a tail and a long beard, pushing the cameraman and knocking him to the ground, portal 021 reminds, explaining that the attack took place on November 5, 2024, in front of the premises Serbian Progressive Party, at the first major protest after the fall of the canopy.
Although the authorities did nothing to find the assailant of the cameraman, journalists found him, and Raonic sat in the first row at the session in the City Assembly, even though he did not hold any office.
Nevertheless, portal 021 points out, Mićin had, apparently, assigned him the function back then.
When asked by journalists if he remembers that he was in front of the SNS premises when he was there on November 5 Aleksandar Vučić and whether he remembers pushing the cameraman, he said that he listened to Vučić several times in front of the party premises, but that he could not "commit to a date".
The journalists also asked the newly appointed mayor Mićin about Raonic's presence at the City Assembly session, to which he said that he was a "close friend" of his and that there was a plan to appoint him as his close associate in the City Hall.
The prosecution dismissed the complaint.
Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad rejected the criminal complaint against Vuk Raonic in June of this year.
The reason was that there were no "grounds for suspecting that a criminal offense was committed for which he is being prosecuted ex officio", that is, the prosecution does not believe that Raonic committed a criminal offense violent behavior.
However, the prosecution clarified that a request will be filed against Raonic for the initiation of misdemeanor proceedings for the offense of insulting, committing violence, threatening or fighting.
In August, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office rejected the Novi Sad videographer's objection to the dismissal of the criminal complaint.
"Although the prosecution established that it was indisputable that the man knocked down the videographer, and that at a public meeting where a large number of citizens were gathered, the prosecution believes that, despite this, there was no significant threat to the tranquility of the citizens or a serious disturbance of public order and peace, and that it is not a criminal offense but a misdemeanor. The prosecution will therefore submit a request to initiate misdemeanor proceedings," ANEM announced at the time.
NDNV: Violence against journalists in Novi Sad rewarded with a function
The Independent Association of Journalists of Vojvodina condemned the appointment of Vuk Raonic as assistant mayor "given his direct involvement in violence against journalists, which has not been sanctioned to this day."
"Instead of sanctions, we are witnessing a political reward for violence: the person associated with the attack on a media worker is being promoted to one of the highest positions in the city. Such a decision sends a dangerous message that violence against journalists in Serbia is tolerated, and even desirable, if it comes from the ranks of the politically eligible," NDNV said.
According to their assessment, this is part of a wider pattern of institutional normalization of violence, in which attacks on journalists are relativized, covered up or remain unpunished, while their actors are protected and rewarded with public positions.
"This further encourages the atmosphere of fear, impunity and systemic pressure on media workers," NDNV added.
They demand that it be explained to the public on the basis of which criteria a person with such a record was appointed to a high city position, that the practice of political protection and rewarding bullies be stopped and that effective institutional protection of journalists and media workers in Serbia be ensured.
Bravo: Is this a reward for what he did?
Citizen movement Bravo asked a number of questions to the mayor of Novi Sad, Žarko Mićin, regarding the new appointment.
"Is the appointment of Vuk Ravnić a kind of reward for what he did on November 5? And was Raonic hired because of his expertise or because of his willingness to, if necessary, physically 'defend' not only the premises of the city hall, but also the Serbian Progressive Party, as well as his own position in the government system?" Bravo asked.
What is written in the biography of assistants and friends?
In the official biography, it is written that Raonic was born in 1983 in Sombor, and that he received his secondary education in Novi Sad. He graduated from the Faculty of Law in Novi Sad, and his master's academic studies at the Faculty of Sports of the University "Union - Nikola Tesla in Belgrade".
This year he received his doctorate at the DIF in Novi Sad.
He worked as a trainee lawyer, and since the progressives came to power in Novi Sad, he has been working in the public sector. First, he was an advisor to the director at Spence, then at Urbanism, and for the last three years he was also an advisor to the director at Informatica.
He won medals in judo, and won the bronze medal at the European Combat Sambo Championship in 2018. He also won medals in other martial arts.
In his biography, he also mentions that he is the founder and coach of the Judo and Sambo club "Borac". It was Žarko Mićin who was the representative of this club.
Source: 021.rs
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