Original article (in Serbian) was published on 6/11/2024; Author: Milica Ljubičić
Shortly after last night’s mass protests in Novi Sad, the tabloid Informer published security camera footage from Belgrade airport showing activist Nikola Ristic, a member of the group “Svice”. The article provides details on Ristic’s destination, departure time, and flight. Ristic told Raskrikavanje that BIA was aware of his travel plans, as he had informed their members during a recent interrogation. He considers it “abnormal” for a tabloid to possess such information and adds that it reflects the security situation for activists in Serbia. Belgrade airport officials told Raskrikavanje that they are “available to relevant authorities to determine all circumstances”.
A minute past midnight, the pro-government tabloid Informer published a brief article of just a few sentences reporting that Nikola Ristic, an activist from the group “Svice”, had left Serbia on the day of the protests in Novi Sad.
“While his people are wrecking Novi Sad, he’s gone to get instructions?!” claims Informer, offensively labeling him a “Djilas thug”.
The article, however, includes three photos of Ristic, apparently captured from security cameras at Belgrade Airport. The images show Ristic sitting at the gate, boarding the plane, and walking through the terminal. The article details his movements at the airport – when he boarded, his flight time, the airline, and his destination country.
As expected, there was no explanation of why it was in the public’s interest to know Ristic’s travel details. Without any concrete evidence, the tabloid implies that Ristić “went to get instructions”.
Ristic confirmed to Raskrikavanje that the airport photos are authentic.
He explained that only his closest associates and BIA knew of his travel plans; BIA agents had questioned him on Sunday, just before the protest at Sava Square. The protest took place two days after a shelter collapse in Novi Sad, which claimed the lives of 14 people.
“At the interrogation, they asked about my plans for my activities in the near future, and I told them they wouldn’t have any issues with me because I wouldn’t be in Serbia for a while”, Ristic said, adding that he had informed them of his departure date and destination country.
“It’s abnormal that a tabloid not only has information about my business accounts and transactions but now also has airport records of when I went through passport control and even photos”, Ristic said, adding that this “clearly illustrates the security position of activists here”.
When asked if he planned to sue Informer for publishing details of his private movements, Ristic said he would consult with lawyers to determine whether there were grounds for legal action.
Raskrikavanje asked Nikola Tesla Airport how a tabloid had acquired footage from their security cameras, but the response was brief and bureaucratic. They stated that Belgrade Airport “does not have information on passengers and their movements”.
However, they noted that they are available to relevant authorities.
“Regarding the publication of private data on the movement of an individual at Nikola Tesla Airport in the media, the company is, as always, available to relevant authorities to determine all circumstances and facts”.
Information about Ristic has “leaked” to the media before
This isn’t the first time that Ristic’s private information has surfaced publicly. Last year, his photos from personal documents appeared in the media during the protests following the December parliamentary elections.
As Raskrikavanje previously reported, a video from the protests first appeared on the social network X, showing an unknown woman scrolling through a Viber chat on her phone, which contained photos from personal documents of several protest participants, including Ristic’s. That same photo later appeared on the web portal Alo, though the tabloid quickly removed it.
Sabic: If I were Commissioner, I would have reacted
Lawyer and former Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, Rodoljub Sabic, stated that he would have certainly taken action regarding this case if he were still in charge of the institution.
“This represents a serious violation by one of the major systems (whether it’s the Airport, Ministry of Internal Affairs, BIA, or all three) regarding the right to personal data protection and privacy. But I’m no longer the Commissioner; you should ask the current one”.
He also noted that this case is yet another confirmation that state bodies here are “working to provide ‘hot topics’ for pro-government tabloids”.
Sabic also highlighted on his social media account on X an example from 2018, when Informer published the birth and citizenship records of two Swiss national team soccer players originally from Kosovo. Informer published these documents to demonstrate that they held Serbian citizenship.
At the time, web portal Kossev reported that these records and citizenship certificates were issued by the civil services of Vranje and Kraljevo on the same day the article was published.
