Press freedom 2005

Vojislav Kostunica
Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia

Dragan Jocic
Minister of Interior Affairs of the Republic of Serbia

Your Excellency,

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is deeply concerned about recent threats against the editor-in-chief of the Serbian daily newspaper, Danas.

According to information before SEEMO, on Saturday, 11 June, an unknown person called the office of Belgrade daily Danas and issued a death threat against the editor-in-chief, Grujica Spasovic. The person identified himself as "the security" of General Ratko Mladic, who is in hiding and being hunted because of his indictment by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

SEEMO asks your Excellency to do everything in your power to urgently investigate this threat and to take all necessary steps to protect the life of Grujica Spasovic. We would like to remind Your Excellencies that a safe working environment for journalists, without any pressure, is a fundamental principle in every democratic society.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic
SEEMO Secretary General