The SafeJournalists Network strongly condemns the explicit threats and calls for physical violence directed at journalist Milka Smilevska on Facebook, considering them a serious threat to her personal safety and an attempt to intimidate and silence journalists.

The incident goes beyond individual offensive comments. On 8 November 2026, a Facebook page named “Vistinata boli” published a manipulated graphic featuring Smilevska and questioning her professional integrity.

The page subsequently tagged its approximately 15,000 followers and shared the post in eight public Facebook groups, seven of them within just one minute. The groups collectively have around 70,000 memberships.

The pattern and scale of dissemination indicate an organised and coordinated attack, involving an existing network of social media pages and groups used to amplify the content and expose the journalist to a wider audience. This coordinated spread, followed by explicit threats, raises serious concerns about the deliberate nature of the intimidation campaign.

The publication was followed by explicit calls for physical violence, including threats of “breaking bones” and references to the so-called “blanket beating” method, as well as misogynistic insults and attempts to discredit journalists. Particularly concerning is the deliberate exposure of Smilevska’s personal social media activity as supposed evidence of political affiliation.

The SafeJournalists Network underlines that, under the Criminal Code of North Macedonia, explicit calls and incitement to violence may constitute serious criminal offences and must be treated accordingly by the competent authorities. Such conduct cannot be dismissed as ordinary online comments or protected under the pretext of freedom of expression.

The SafeJournalists Network stresses that freedom of expression cannot justify threats, incitement to violence or intimidation. Disagreement with a journalist’s reporting or professional work must never become a pretext for threats against their safety.

We call on the Ministry of Interior of North Macedonia to urgently investigate the incident, identify those responsible for publishing and spreading the content and issuing threats, and take appropriate legal action. The investigation should also examine the possible coordination and organisation behind the dissemination of the threatening content.

Authorities must not wait for online threats to escalate into physical violence before taking action. Journalists must be able to work freely and safely, without threats, intimidation or violence, both online and offline.

The SafeJournalists Network stands in solidarity with journalist Milka Smilevska and will continue monitoring the case.

Every attack on journalists is an attack on democracy, public interest, and fundamental human rights.

Pristina – Skopje – Sarajevo – Zagreb – Belgrade – Podgorica – Tirana, 10 November 2026

Association of Journalists of Albania

Association of Journalists of Kosovo

Association of Journalists of Macedonia

BH Journalists Association

Croatian Journalists’ Association

Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia

Trade Union of Media of Montenegro