Dinko Gruhonjic (BETAPHOTO/Milos Miskov)
Dinko Gruhonjic, a journalist and University of Novi Sad professor, is this-year’s recipient of the Human Rights Award of the City of Weimar, the Society for Threatened Peoples and Reporters Without Borders have announced.
“It is with great joy that we commend the City of Weimar’s decision to bestow its 30th jubilee Human Rights Award upon journalist and University Professor Dinko Gruhonjic,” the two non-profits said.
The statement went on to say that Gruhonjic “has been and remains the target of slander and death threats” over his independent and critical coverage of the increase in nationalism and glorification of war crimes in Serbia. In recent years, freedom of the press and of expression in the country have come under increasing pressure, it was added.
“Dinko Gruhonjic has been and remains the target of slander, insults and threats aimed at his family as well. In the meantime, threats from within the establishment have grown louder. Representatives of the ruling party and the president of Serbia have launched a public intimidation campaign against Gruhonjic, which has resulted in threats of violence and open death threats,” the press release reads.
“I’m glad the City of Weimar respects Dinko Gruhonjic’s tireless dedication to human rights and democracy in the Western Balkans,” said Roman Kuhn, the director of the Society for Threatened Peoples, adding that Gruhonjic is being threatened “in the middle of Europe” for his efforts.
“Despite mass attempts at intimidation, [Gruhonjic] has been unwaveringly dedicated to freedom of the press and freedom of expression. The Weimar Human Rights Award sends an important and encouraging message to journalists in Serbia and throughout the world not to let themselves be intimidated,” Kuhn said.
For his part, Gruhonjic stated that the award holds great emotional and human significance for him and his family.
“It represents deep recognition of my journalistic and academic work on promoting human rights, fighting militant ethno-nationalistic ideologies and promoting reconciliation among the peoples of the post-Yugoslav region,” Gruhonjic said.
He added that the award will enable him to continue along this path, despite increased threats aimed at anyone in Serbia who advocates humane values.
“I’m thankful to all those who nominated me for this prestigious award, to all my friends, my fellow-journalists, academic coworkers and my students, who have supported me and my family in these hard times,” Gruhonjic stated.
Gruhonjic was nominated by the Society for Threatened Peoples, Reporters Without Borders and the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia.
An associate professor at the Media Studies Department at the University of Novi Sad’s School of Philosophy Media, Gruhonjic, 53, is also the program director of the Independent Association of Journalists of Vojvodina and the head of Beta News Agency’s correspondence office in Vojvodina.
His journalistic and academic works center on politics, human rights, minorities and marginalized groups as well as on the responsibility for war crimes in the post-Yugoslav region and coming to terms with the past.
The award ceremony for the 30th Human Rights Award of the City of Weimar will take place in this German city on Dec. 6, 2024.
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