What it is
Dinko Gruhonjic is a journalist, a University of Novi Sad professor, and programme director of the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV). In 2024-2026 news coverage, his case is not a single proceeding but an ongoing dispute over the safety of a journalist and his family after threats, media targeting, and public campaigns against him.
The June 20-21, 2026 episode
According to N1, Danas, and 021, the car of David Gruhonjic, Dinko Gruhonjic's son, was badly damaged in a parking lot in Novi Sad's Liman area on the evening of June 20, 2026. Witnesses described three younger men wearing balaclavas who attacked that specific vehicle and fled when a witness approached. Police came to the scene; David and Dinko Gruhonjic, along with witnesses, gave statements.
What ANEM and NDNV claim
ANEM described the car damage as a consequence of a years-long campaign, lynching, and targeting of Dinko Gruhonjic by top state officials and pro-government media, and asked police and prosecutors to urgently investigate the case, identify and prosecute those responsible, and protect the family. NDNV said Gruhonjic was no longer safe in Serbia, linked the risk to years of media campaigns, threats, and public targeting, and warned that pressure was increasingly directed at family members.
Checkable facts and status
The checkable record as of June 21-23, 2026 is this: the son's car was damaged, the incident happened in Liman, police took statements, and journalist organizations publicly demanded an investigation and protection. The related reports do not name public suspects, charges, or an announced protective measure for the family. 021 also writes that David Gruhonjic works at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences in Zagreb, is a doctoral student, is a Serbian citizen with permission to work in Croatia, and was previously linked by pro-government tabloids to Croatia's SOA; Dinko Gruhonjic called that a dangerous lie.
Why it matters
For readers this is not only a crime brief about a smashed car. If threats against a journalist extend to family members, the risk touches press freedom, the university environment, and the willingness of witnesses, sources, and colleagues to speak publicly. For Novi Sad residents there is also a local dimension: the attack happened in a residential part of Liman, and the police-prosecution review should show whether this was ordinary property damage, politically motivated intimidation, or another form of pressure.
Next open decision
The key next step is a publicly understandable result from the police and prosecutorial review: whether perpetrators and motive are identified, whether the case is treated only as property damage or as a threat/pressure case, and whether Dinko Gruhonjic and his family receive any form of protection. Until those decisions are announced, ANEM and NDNV statements remain demands and risk assessments, not a settled procedural outcome.