Stano: Threats to Tanjug journalists unacceptable, must be investigated

BRUSSELS - European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said on Tuesday threats to Tanjug journalists were unacceptable and "very unsettling", noting that the EU condemned such threats and that the case must be investigated.

Stano was speaking at a Brussels press briefing.

On Monday evening, the Tanjug News Agency received an email signed by an individual named "Trim Bardhi" that said Tanjug journalists would get "a bullet to the back of their heads" the next time they set foot in the territory of Serbia's Autonomous Province of Kosovo-Metohija.

Asked by Tanjug's correspondent if the EU would take measures to protect the agency's journalists and other Serbian journalists in Kosovo-Metohija and whether it would react to help track down the perpetrator after Serbian Minister of Information and Telecommunications Dejan Ristic said the threat had come from Albania, Stano responded:

"This is, of course, very unsettling, what you said about the emails and the threats received. The position of the European Union is very clear when it comes to threats and intimidation of journalists."

"This is unacceptable. We totally reject and condemn this. This is something that is not supposed to be happening. Journalists should be able to work in an atmosphere where they can deliver on their jobs and without any persecution, intimidation or any threats," he said.

"In this particular case, since you are a Serbian media (outlet) and this happened, I guess, in Serbian territory, it is up to the Serbian authorities, of course, to investigate fully and get all the necessary support from anyone who might be involved," he said.

"If you are mentioning that the investigation leads towards, or that the indications lead towards, the territory of another state, this is for the countries to do together. It needs to be tackled and needs to be investigated, and the European Union definitely condemns such threats against journalists, wherever they are," Stano said.

Earlier, Ristic said the threat had been emailed from Albanian territory and was the most serious one a Serbian media outlet had received in years.