# Arson attack on journalist Milan Jovanović's house in Vrčin Category: Persecution Period: from 12 Dec 2018 Outcome: Guilty verdict (as of 26 Apr 2024) In December 2018 a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the garage of the house in Vrčin belonging to Žig info journalist Milan Jovanović; Jovanović and his wife managed to get out, but the house was badly damaged. Before the attack Jovanović had written about abuses in the Grocka municipality, and in April 2024 the Court of Appeal issued a final judgment convicting the municipality's mayor and SNS official Dragoljub Simonović of incitement to arson and sentencing him to four years in prison. The man who carried out the attack is on the run, and according to Cenzolovka, Jovanović has still not been compensated for the damage. ## Molotov cocktail in Vrčin On the night of 11 to 12 December 2018, a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the garage of the family home of Milan Jovanović, a journalist with the local news site Žig info, in Vrčin (Grocka municipality). Jovanović and his wife were inside and managed to get out; the house was badly damaged, and the garage and car were destroyed. Before the attack, Jovanović had written about abuses in Grocka municipality, including the gas network project. ## Municipal president arrested Police arrested the perpetrators in December 2018, and on 25 January 2019 they also arrested the president of Grocka municipality and SNS official Dragoljub Simonović. President Aleksandar Vučić announced the arrest publicly, saying that "a party membership card will protect no one from accountability". In March 2019, Simonović resigned as municipal president and from his party posts; he denied guilt throughout. ## Verdict and unpaid damages The Court of Appeal overturned the first-instance verdict of February 2021, which had sentenced Simonović to four years and three months in prison, in December 2021. In the retrial, Simonović was sentenced in March 2023 to five years. In April 2024, the Court of Appeal handed down a final verdict sentencing him to four years in prison and a fine, together with three others who were convicted; the man who carried out the attack is on the run. Simonović began serving his sentence in October 2024. According to Cenzolovka in December 2025, Jovanović has still not been compensated for the damage, and civil proceedings are ongoing. ## Participants - [Dragoljub Simonović](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/dragoljub-simonovic): He received a final sentence of four years in prison for inciting others to set fire to the house of journalist Milan Jovanović (responsible) - [Aleksandar Vučić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/aleksandar-vucic): Announced Simonović's arrest and said a party membership card does not protect anyone from accountability (commented on the case) - [Živadinka Avramović](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/zivadinka-avramovic): Said residents were "extremely satisfied" with Simonović's work (commented on the case) - [Predrag Milovanović](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/predrag-milovanovic): Before the Court of Appeal in 2024, he sought eight years in prison for Simonović (investigation and courts) - [Serbian Progressive Party](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/sns): One of its officials resigned from all his posts in 2019, and the new municipal president praised his work (commented on the case) - [Grocka City Municipality](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/opstina-grocka): On 20 March 2019, the Assembly accepted the resignation of municipal president Dragoljub Simonović (commented on the case) - [Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Serbia](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/ministarstvo-privrede): According to Cenzolovka, in September 2025 it appointed the wife of the convicted Mihailović, a witness at the trial, as the state's representative at Srbija Kargo (responsible) - [Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/mup-srbije): It arrested the perpetrator and the organiser in December 2018, and Simonović in January 2019. (investigation and courts) - [Second Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/drugo-ojt-beograd): It indicted Simonović and three others charged alongside him and sought eight years (investigation and courts) - [Second Basic Court in Belgrade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/drugi-osnovni-sud-beograd): In non-final rulings it convicted him, sentencing him in 2021 to four years and three months and in 2023 to five (investigation and courts) - [Court of Appeal in Belgrade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/apelacioni-sud-beograd): It overturned the first verdict in 2021, and in 2024 issued a final conviction of Simonović, sentencing him to four years (investigation and courts) - [Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, Special Department for Combating Corruption](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/vjt-beograd): In May 2022, it questioned Simonović on suspicion of causing the municipality a loss of around €100,000 (investigation and courts) - [Žig info](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/zig-info): Jovanović wrote for it about abuses in Grocka; its editor was beaten in 2018 (oversight and the public) ## Victims and others harmed - [Milan Jovanović](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/milan-jovanovic) ## Sources - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Journalist after verdict over arson of his house is overturned: I feel defeated](): 27 Dec 2021 - [Cenzolovka: Attempted murder of journalist Milan Jovanović: house burned, shots fired at front door](): 12 Dec 2018 - [Cenzolovka: The authorities forget their visits to dissenters: journalist Milan Jovanović, whose house was set on fire, remembers them](): 24 Jul 2025 - [Glas Amerike: Sentences reduced for those convicted of arson of journalist Milan Jovanović's house](): 26 Apr 2024 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Four years in prison for arson attack on journalist's house in Serbia](): 23 Feb 2021 - [N1: Appeals court reduces Dragoljub Simonović's sentence for arson of journalist's house](): 26 Apr 2024 - [Insajder: A series of attacks in Grocka without an adequate response from the authorities](): 3 Jan 2019 - [Komitet za zaštitu novinara (CPJ): Srpski istraživački novinar meta podmetanja požara](): 12 Dec 2018 - [N1: Simonović claims he had no motive to burn the house, Jovanović says "a pure lie"](): 11 Feb 2021 - [N1: Jovanović: The Grocka municipality president ordered it, I fear for my safety](): 26 Dec 2018 - [N1: Vučić: Grocka municipality president arrested for ordering attack on Jovanović](): 25 Jan 2019 - [021.rs: Appeals court issues final conviction of former Grocka mayor over arson attack on journalist's house](): 27 Apr 2024 - [Telegraf: Former Grocka municipality president turns himself in at Zabela: Convicted over arson of journalist's house!](): 14 Oct 2024 - [Kurir: GROCKA MUNICIPALITY PRESIDENT RESIGNS! Simonović: I am leaving all my posts, both in the party and in the municipality](): 15 Mar 2019 - [KRIK: Former Grocka municipality president denies abusing his office](): 30 May 2022 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Grocka municipality president's resignation accepted](): 20 Mar 2019 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Start of trial over burning of journalist's house in Grocka postponed](): 9 Apr 2019 - [Cenzolovka: Appeals court opens hearing over arson of journalist Milan Jovanović's house; Jovanović fell ill near the end of the session](): 26 Mar 2024 - [Vreme: Verdict for former Grocka mayor: five years in prison over arson attack on journalist's house](): 20 Mar 2023 - [N1: Twist at trial: Former police officer changes testimony, Simonović threatens prosecutor](): 12 Dec 2019 - [Glas Amerike: Prison for Dragoljub Simonović for inciting arson of Milan Jovanović's house](): 23 Feb 2021 - [N1: Appeals court overturns Simonović's verdict for arson of journalist's house](): 24 Dec 2021 - [Raskrikavanje: Verdict over arson of journalist's house: "As an official, Simonović was obliged to tolerate criticism"](): 20 Mar 2023 - [N1: Dragoljub Simonović convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for arson attack on journalist's house](): 20 Mar 2023 - [BBC: Appeals court issues final conviction of former Grocka mayor over arson attack on journalist's house](): 27 Apr 2024 - [Vreme: Former Grocka municipality president Dragoljub Simonović in Zabela prison](): 14 Oct 2024 - [Cenzolovka: State appoints wife of man convicted of burning down a journalist's house in Grocka as its representative at “Srbija Kargo”](): 29 Sep 2025 - [Cenzolovka: Milan Jovanović: Things are worse for journalists today than when they burned down my house. I escaped death, but you young people, take care](): 11 Dec 2025 - [Cenzolovka: Milan Jovanović is still waiting for compensation for the arson attack on his house, while the obstruction and humiliation in the courtroom continue](): 16 Jun 2025 - [N1: DS: Four years ago, the house of Žig info journalist Milan Jovanović was set on fire](): 12 Dec 2022 --- Source: Odgovornost, https://odgovornost.rs/en/afere/paljenje-kuce-milana-jovanovica As of: 9 Nov 2026 Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)