Friends, Colleagues Pay Tribute to Dejan Anastasijevic

Following the sad passing of Dejan Anastasijevic, his friends and colleagues have paid tribute to his full and impactful life, his sterling, courageous work in exposing the truth and his warm personality. The following tributes were penned by the British Economist journalist Tim Judah, BIRN Serbia editor Slobodan Georgiev, Professor of Political and Cultural Sociology at University College London Eric Gordy, and BIRN Macedonia director Ana Petruseva.

You Left Too Soon, Dejan

Tim Judah

In a personal tribute, Tim Judah recalls a man who loved life, loved journalism, excelled at it - and never compromised.

Dejan, what have you done? I looked on Facebook Messenger and it says quite clearly that you are connected. I would send you this there, but you know journalism - they have asked me to write this for here. Still, they say that after people die they linger for a bit before they are fully gone, so I am sure you will read this. Then, when I join you, we can continue to complain about those stupid, bloody editors.

I just can't believe it. Until now you always just got away with it. You came pretty close sometimes, like the last time you were ill, or the time they [and we know who they are, even if the investigation never quite happened…] attacked your flat with a hand grenade as you and Lidija were asleep in that very room. You stared down the killers and survived.

When we had dinner this January, you talked about treatment but told me you would not lose sleep or be angry about something you could not do anything about. It simply never occurred to me that you would not get away with it once again.

I have seen all the tributes pouring in: legendary reporter, dedicated to the truth...