Stevan Dojčinović, an investigative journalist from the KRIK.rs newsroom, speaks openly in an interview with Pavla Holcová about the links between mafia clans and government structures, about brutality unparalleled in Europe, and about a system where those who kill are the heroes of evening talk shows.
Stevan grew up in the chaotic period after the Balkan wars and threw himself into the fight against impunity with punk zeal. He describes cases where the bodies of murder victims disappeared into an industrial grinder, as well as years of investigations during which he was constantly watched, denigrated, and labeled an "enemy of the state." Yet he continues to reveal who is behind the violence affecting not only Serbia but all of Europe.
What does a "house of slaughter" on the outskirts of Belgrade look like? What role did encrypted Sky ECC phones play in extortion and the recruitment of criminal cohorts? And why have criminals in Serbia become pop culture icons? And also, what it is like when your investigation aims high—and instead of gratitude, hate campaigns, lawsuits, and attempts at professional liquidation follow.
A harsh testimony from KRIK.rs editor-in-chief Stevan Dojčinović about journalistic work in a country where democracy is crumbling, the line between organized crime and politics is blurring, and revealing the truth can mean the end.
