Živković Samardžić secures Court of Appeal victory for Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK)

by ZS Law

Kruna Savović, Živković Samardžić Technology, Media and Telecommunications Partner and a Head of Media Litigation, led the Živković Samardžić team that has achieved a victory for Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK). Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK) is a non-profit organization established to improve investigative journalism in Serbia. 

The Court of Appeal in Belgrade confirmed that KRIK journalists did not violate the honor and reputation of businessman Vladimir Šekrevski in the article “Serbian citizens in Paradise Papers” published in November 2017. In the decision, the court confirmed that the journalists acted with due professional care, that they checked the information before publishing it, and that Šekrevski himself did not deny its truthfulness. The verdict in favor of KRIK is final and Šekrevski will have to pay the costs of the procedure.

In this manner, the Court of Appeal in Belgrade confirmed an earlier decision of the First-instance court, to reject as unfounded Mr Šekrevski’s claim that KRIK has damaged his reputation and honor by their reporting on the Paradise Papers. Živković Samardžić team of lawyers successfully represented KRIK during the entire proceedings.

The judge stated that the journalists of KRIK published information that is of interest to the public, and that journalistic freedom means a certain amount of exaggeration or even provocation in order to draw the public’s attention to an important topic, as long as the obligation of journalists to report accurately, objectively, completely and in a timely manner is respected.

KRIK has been victorious in all proceeding instigated against them concerning the texts they wrote within the “Paradise Papers”, an important international project involving 96 media from 67 countries.

Full report on the case in the Serbian is available here.

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