02/02/2017: UKRAINE (CRIMEA) – SEEMO CONCERNED REGARDING FREEDOM OF SPEECH VIOLATIONS IN CRIMEA TERRITORY CONTROLLED BY RUSSIA

Vienna, 02/02/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) expressed concern after learning that the webpage of the Crimean Tatar TV, ATR, has been blocked in the territory of Crimea.

Upon loading the page of the web portal, a message is displayed stating that the network address is added to a registry of domains which contains information prohibited for dissemination in the Russian Federation.

SEEMO members call on institutions to immediately end censorship used against media outlets in this region, and allow all web portals and other media to work freely, and without oppression. Freedom of speech and information of public importance present a pillar of democracy, especially in transitional societies facing political instabilities.

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.

Vienna, 02/02/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) urged Turkish authorities to react and immediately release all journalists arrested since the failed coup attempt on July 15 on accusations of spreading propaganda and participation in the overthrow.

The number of arrest warrants issued has risen to 47, and SEEMO members were shocked to learn today that the SEEMO 2013 Human Rights award winner Bülent Mumay was detained by authorities.

‘We call on authorities in the country to release our colleagues. The news that SEEMO award winner Bulent Mumay was arrested came as a grave shock to all our members. Hopefully our pleas and those of the international community will help our attempts to free all journalists in Turkey’, said SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic.

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.

Vienna, 02/02/2017

SEEMO calls authorities in Kiev to investigate investigative journalist death

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the killing of Pavel Grigorievich Sheremet in Kiev, Ukraine, on 20 July.

Sheremet, Belarusian-born Russian journalist who had been living in Ukraine and worked for online news site Ukrainska Pravda, was killed in a car bomb explosion.

Sheremet was imprisoned in Belarus 1997. He received several awards for his work as a journalist.

‘SEEMO is shocked by the death of Pavel Sheremet, a talented reporter and investigative journalists. We urge authorities in Kiev to conduct a swift and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, and to hold the responsible persons accountable’, said SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic.

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.

Vienna, 02/02/2017

SEEMO express concern about Azerbaijani News Service (ANS), a private Azerbaijani television station, that was taken off the air on 18 July. The move came after the station was accused of damaging relations with Turkey, and was announced to allegedly prevent overt terrorist propaganda after the station said it would broadcast an interview with U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Turkey’s government blames Gulen for orchestrating the failed military coup on 15 July. Gulen has condemned the coup and denied involvement

Azerbaijan’s National Television and Radio Council (NTRC) announced that it was temporarily suspending operations of the private ANS TV, which was founded in 1991. Additionally, NTRC announced that it would file a lawsuit to revoke ANS’s license.

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.

Vienna, 02/02/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns recent threats made against a journalist in Serbia.

Boris Dzinic, a reporter for Nocturne magazine in Novi Sad, was allegedly intimidated and threatened in the early hours of Monday, 11 July, during the Exit festival. Dzinic was approached by a group that was dissatisfied about the journalist’s reporting on a concert the group organized in April. The group surrounded the journalist and threatened him.

‘SEEMO calls for an urgent investigation of this case’, said SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic. ‘Responding to journalists’ work by threatening them is never acceptable.’

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.

Vienna, 22/02/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is informed about the release of journalist Azatlyk Khudayberdy Allashov and his mother from prison on 15 February. Allashov was given a three-year conditional sentences.

Allashov, his wife and mother were detained on 3 December 2016 in Turkmenistan’s Dashoguz region on charges of possessing a banned substance: 11 kilograms of chewing tobacco, a product banned since 2008. It was later confirmed by several sources that Allashov was severely beaten and admitted being guilty of the charges under coercion.

One other independent journalist, Saparmamed Nepeskuliev, also working for Radio Azatlyk, was tried secretly without a lawyer after he was detained in July 2015, and was given a three-year jail sentence for drug possession.

Turkmen media are all controlled by the state. Independent local correspondents working for international-based media have to work underground because of the risk of prison.

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe.

Vienna, 03/01/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) called on authorities in Belarus to immediately release thee bloggers held in detention for the past three weeks because of their critical views of the government.

Editor of Novaya Ekonomika magazine Syarhey Shyptenska, school supervisor Dzimitry Alimkin, and university professor Yury Paulavets were imprisoned by Belarus authorities after criticizing the government’s alleged “Russophobic” inclinations.

All three are facing up to 12 years of jail time, based on their charges of supposedly “inciting racial hatred”, by posting content of Russian news websites.

Vienna, 12/12/2016

The Vienna South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is asking for more transparency in the case of Arsim Halili former editor of the newsroom of the public Radio Television Kosovo (RTK), who is also vice chairman of Trade Union and also member of Journalist’s Association of Kosovo, who was not returned to his job position

Halili lost his position in RTK and was suspended for six month. This decision by the RTK management gives a message about consequences the staff will face if they try to be whistleblowers for reporting mismanagement and irregularities. The management is also ignoring the conclusion of Board of Directors of RTK which has unanimously concluded that on case of Halili have been used double standards, when he has been fined due a status in his private profile in Facebook, where he used sarcasm to criticize prolongation in the EU visa liberalization process.

Last year, the general manager had issued a decision to expel from their work, chairman and vice chairman of Trade Union.

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.

Vienna, 09/12/2016

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemned the behavior of local authorities in the municipality Drenas / Gllogovc (Drenica) in Kosovo.

During a press conference on 7 December the local spokesperson of Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) made allegedly a few statements that expressed discrimination and intolerance against the RTV Dukagjini crew. The spokesperson stated allegedly that TV Dukagjini from Pejë (Pec) “would not like elections to happen in a normal manner” and that “they are presenting the people from this municipality as dogs”.

SEEMO expressed a disapproval of these statements. Speeches in this form by an official representative of a political party are not acceptable. All media outlets should be treated equally by spokespersons of political parties, without singling anyone out in a pejorative, discriminative manner. In cases of complaints the party should address them through proper mechanism and bodies. SEEMO also calls for the spokesperson and the political party to issue an official apology because of this incident.

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.

Vienna, 04/12/2016

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) called on authorities in Serbia to react, following several days of media workers experiencing extreme levels of discrimination, oppression and censorship.

Blic daily correspondent Gvozden Zdravic was prohibited from accessing the building of the City Assembly in the town of Aleksandrovac on 29 November. The decision handed to him was signed by the Assembly president and claimed that Zdravic had allegedly not applied for attendance at that day’s plenary session, despite the journalist claiming otherwise. It was revealed following this event that the correspondent has not been able to attend sessions for almost three years now, despite regularly applying for them.

On 30 November, Miroslav Cuckovic, the Assembly president for the city of Obrenovac published a tweet on his personal account, saying that journalist of the investigative website Istinomer Jelena Prodanovic is a “voyeur and psychopath” who carries a “secret camera” in her purse and “provokes” during assembly meetings. Following this incident, Prodanovic said that this was not the first time Cuckovic had spoken about her and Istinomer in this derogatory manner, and that he used similar accusations during previous two encounters when she was in attendance at a plenary session.

On 3 December, journalists from media outlets B92, N1, Prva and Insajder were not allowed on the premises of the Russian House in Belgrade where an event with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Serbian Foreign Ministry Ivica Dacic was taking place. When asked why journalists from these outlets could not attend, the press attaché stated that the “capacities of the plae were limited”, and that only journalists who have previously reported on the topic of mention could be allowed in.

SEEMO reminds institutions and political figures in Serbia that discrimination against journalists is highly dangerous for the already problematic media scene in the country. Journalists and media workers must all be treated equally, regardless of their outlet and position.

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.