Živković Samardžić, one of the Serbia’s leading full-service independent law firms, has successfully represented Brankica Stanković, prominent Serbian investigative journalist, broadcaster B92 and its news and current affairs editor and chairperson of the Board of Directors Veran Matić against a defamation claim brought by Uroš Avramović, one of the Red Star Belgrade football club supporters’ leaders.
The claim related to the 2012 reruns of 2009 ”(Dis)empowered State?” series of three episodes of investigative TV program „Insajder“, uncovering details about leaders, including Avramović, of certain football supporters’ groups whose ban for inciting racial, national and religious hatred and violations of human or minority rights was requested from the Constitutional Court by the Public Prosecutor’s office.
In its first instance judgment recently delivered to the parties, the Higher Court in Belgrade has confirmed that all statements of facts related to Avramović and uncovered in „Insajder“ were true and ordered plaintiff to cover defendants’ legal costs.
Brankica Stanković is a prominent Serbian investigative journalist, author of the investigative TV program „Insajder“ broadcast on B92 television since 2004, reporting on topics of war crimes, corruption, crimes committed by the security service, the assassination of Serbian prime minister, disputed privatizations, hooligans and extremist groups, mafia in football, judiciary and construction industry. As the result of the affairs she has tackled in „Insajder“, she has been under police protection since 2009. Just recently, together with a team of journalists, Brankica launched a news portal INSAJDER.NET. Their coverage of the case (in Serbian) is available here.
Živković Samardžić team successfully representing Brankica Stanković, B92 and Veran Matić was led by Kruna Savović, Živković Samardžić Technology, Media and Telecommunications Senior Associate.