15/07/2009: CROATIA – ATTACKERS OF CROATIAN JOURNALIST STILL NOT CAUGHT AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR

Vienna, 15/07/2009

More than one year after the brutal assault on Dusan Miljus, an investigative reporter for the Croatian daily newspaper Jutarnji List, his attackers are yet to be arrested. The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), calls on the Croatian authorities to further ensure Miljus’s protection and to bring to justice those responsible for the attack.

On 2 June 2008, two assailants wearing motorcycle helmets approached Miljus in front of his home in Zagreb, Croatia, and violently attacked him with baseball bats until he lost consciousness. The unidentified men fled when a neighbour noticed the attack and started yelling. On 9 July 2008, an unknown male telephone caller told a relative of Miljus that if the journalist did not stop talking, other members of his family might get hurt. The caller indicated that he had information about Miljus’s family members. Miljus was previously threatened via a paid advertisement in the newspaper Vecernji List, when the sister of a murdered convict issued an obituary for Miljus. SEEMO issued a protest letter regarding the incident.

Miljus’s writings span 20 years and cover crime in South East Europe, the mafia and Croatian underground circles. He has been previously threatened in connection with his investigative journalism.

SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic said, SEEMO would welcome a full investigation by the Croatian police in order that justice is administered. It is time for the police and Croatian authorities to step up their efforts to solve this case. Vujovic added, SEEMO welcomes the fact that Miljus receives police protection, but the failure to bring those responsible to justice will only strengthen the impression that the Croatian authorities have little interest in protecting journalists who dare to report openly. Democracy fails when journalists are forced to operate in constant fear for their lives.

Vienna, 15/06/2009

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is deeply concerned over recent attacks on BIRN Kosovo Director Jeta Xharra and her team, who produce the programme Jeta ne Kosove, aired on the public broadcaster RTK Kosovo.

On 4 June 2009, the Albanian daily newspaper Infopress published what appeared to be a death threat against Xharra, stating, Jeta has brought it upon herself to have a short life. On 5 June, Infopress again attacked Xharra in another editorial piece, in which the author wrote that he would be honoured to shake the hand of any dutiful Albanian who took it upon himself to punish Xharra.

Xharra is the director of BIRN (Balkan Investigative Reporting Network) Kosovo, which produces the popular TV programme Jeta ne Kosove (Life in Kosovo), where controversial and taboo topics ranging from homosexuality to minority voices to alleged war crimes are presented to the public. The hate campaign against Xharra and her team followed an edition of Life in Kosovo, broadcast on 28 May 2009, which reported on freedom of the media in Kosovo and focused on the central Kosovo municipality of Skenderaj/Srbica. After the programme was aired, Xharra and her team received various threatening messages.

Commenting on the situation, SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic said, SEEMO strongly condemns these death threats and public assaults against Jeta Xharra and her team, as they are a direct attack on freedom of expression. It is vital for journalists to be able to report freely on current affairs without fear of harassment. Any attempts to influence media independence are unacceptable in a modern society. Vujovic added, It is especially worrisome that this apparent hate campaign is being waged by a newspaper that depends on advertising revenue from the government. Infopress receives the lion’s share of government advertising revenues, which would imply that the campaign is supported at the highest political level. SEEMO urges the authorities to put an end to political pressure on the media and to allow journalists to report freely on current affairs and to carry out their work in safety.

Vienna, 04/06/2009

A Slovak government agency should immediately drop a civil complaint against the daily SME that was filed when the newspaper refused to print a response to a column under a controversial right-of-reply law, the International Press Institute said today.

The complaint, filed by the Inspectorate for the Environment, is the first time a civil case has been pressed against a newspaper under the 2008 Press Act, which contains provisions obligating print media to publish the replies of readers who feel their reputation has been touched by a published article. SME could face a fine of up to 5,000 EUR.

IPI strongly opposed the Press Act’s right-of-reply provisions from the outset due to the potential for abuse, said IPI Director David Dadge. Those who supported the provision said it was included to help citizens defend their reputation, but what we have here are officials looking to temper criticism and use a private newspaper as the unwilling delivery system for the opinions of the authorities. We urge that the case against SME be dropped immediately.

The complaint against the Bratislava-based daily stems from a 2 March 2009 opinion piece by deputy editor-in-chief Lukas Fila, who wrote about the building of a controversial refuse site on the outskirts of Bratislava. The column criticised the actions of government agencies, and claimed that the Inspectorate for the Environment had acted in a manner designed to cover its back.

Although the 233-word column only briefly touched up the subject of the state agencies, the Inspectorate for the Environment requested that SME print a 217-word reply. The Press Act stipulates that such replies be printed in their entirety. SME refused the request on 24 March. Court action is pending, sources told IPI.

In a press freedom audit report on Slovakia issued in April, IPI expressed concern about the right-of-reply clauses in the Press Act. IPI, joined by its affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organisation, and Slovak journalists, have repeatedly condemned the law and contend that such rules could cost newspapers valuable publication time and space, and infringe on editorial independence. IPI has called on Parliament to scrap the law.

Vienna, 28/05/2009

The South East European Media Organisation (SEEMO) has been informed that the Serbian TV channel B92 received warning letters from the lawyers of the Port of Belgrade days ahead of the broadcasting of the B92 programme, “Insider”. The programme was nevertheless broadcast on 25 May 2009 and contained information referring to the Port of Belgrade, Serbia.

The legal representatives of the Port of Belgrade sent letters carrying the title “Warning”, which stated that the facts broadcast in the programme about the Port were untrue and that the lawyers would not hesitate to take legal action against B92. An offer by the TV channel, made during the preparations for the programme, to invite a legal representative of the Port as a guest on “Insider” was declined.

SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic commented, “SEEMO condemns the warnings sent by the lawyers of the Port of Belgrade as a direct attack on the freedom to broadcast public information. Media outlets must have the right to report freely on all issues of public interest. SEEMO therefore urges the lawyers of the Port to stop exerting pressure on B92.” Vujovic continued, “It is unfortunate that the lawyers of the Port of Belgrade declined the offer by B92 to speak during the programme, “Insider”, as this would have be a perfect opportunity to have an open debate and for them to make their own case.”

Vienna, 07/05/2009

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) strongly condemns the threat made by the Serbian Orthodox priest Vlastimir Zlatic against the Serbian journalist Zoran Marjanovic, correspondent for the newspapers “Kurir” and “Glas Javnosti”, in the village of Silopaj, near Gornji Milanovac, Serbia.

According to information before SEEMO, on 3 May 2009, Marjanovic received a threat of violence in a telephone call by the Serbian Orthodox priest Zlatic, who said, translated into English, “You bastard, I will show you my gun and you will end up like Curuvija!” (Slavko Curuvija, a Serbian journalist and newspaper publisher, was brutally murdered in the centre of Belgrade on 11 April 1999. The perpetrators of the assassination remain unknown.(Marjanovic had published an article concerning Zlatic some days prior to the threat.)

SEEMO’s Secretary General Oliver Vujovic commented on the incident, “SEEMO strongly condemns the threat against Marjanovic, which, ironically occurred on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day. Because the Church plays an important role in moral development within society, SEEMO urges the Serbian Orthodox Church and its representatives to respect freedom of expression and opinion, and to ensure that journalists and others are not threatened for exercising their right of freedom of speech.” Vujovic added, “At the same time, SEEMO would welcome a thorough police investigation into this disturbing incident.”

Vienna, 29/04/2009

Exactly ten years after NATO bombed the headquarters of Serbian state radio and television (RTS), the Vienna based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute, today calls for NATO to ensure an independent investigation into the attack.

On 23 April 1999, 16 media workers were killed when NATO bombs fell on the headquarters and studios of RTS in central Belgrade. Those killed were: Jelica Munitlak (28 years old), Ksenija Bankovic (28), Darko Stolmenovski (26), Nebojsa Stojanovic (27), Dragorad Dragojevic (27), Dragan Tasic (31), Aleksandar Deletic (31), Slavisa Stevanovic (32), Sinisa Medic (32), Ivan Stukalo (34), Dejan Markovic (39), Milan Joksimovic (47), Branislav Jovanovic (50), Milan Jankovic (59), Tomislav Mitrovic (61), and Slobodan Jontic (54).

According to Serbian sources, the media workers who died that day were ordered by the then-management of RTS to remain in the building despite a decision by the government that RTS should evacuate its staff and equipment to another location.

In the first step of an investigation by the authorities in Belgrade, Dragoljub Milanovic, the former director of RTS, was sentenced in 2002 to ten years in prison for failing to protect the lives of the 16 RTS employees killed in the NATO strike. However, to this day, NATO has failed to ensure full accountability for this unprecedented attack on a media outlet.

SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic said, The fact that the Serbian state media was perceived by some as a propaganda tool in the war cannot be used as an argument to justify the bombing of RTS as a legitimate target. Vujovic continued, SEEMO would welcome a full and transparent investigation by NATO, and urges NATO to admit it was mistaken to target a media outlet, in order to ensure that justice is administered and to finally bring some peace to the families and colleagues of the victims.

Vienna, 16/04/2009

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) strongly condemns the excessive fine handed down 30 March 2009 by the Court in Nis, Serbia, in a defamation case against Dragana Kocic and Timosenko Milosavljevic, journalist and editor-in-chief, respectively, for the Serbian daily newspaper, Narodnih Novina. Together, the journalist and editor-in-chief must pay a fine of 1,000,000 Serbian dinars (approx. 10,760 EUR) for publishing an article that used quotes from official documents. Both defendants have appealed to the High Court.

According to SEEMO’s sources, Kocic and Milosavljevic were charged with defamation after publishing an article in April 2008 that used some quotes from official documents they had received. SEEMO condemns the fact that Kocic and Milosavljevic were fined because Kocic had quoted parts of an official document to which she had access as a journalist. Moreover, SEEMO condemns the fact that journalists in Serbia often have to pay fines that are manifestly out of proportion to their salaries, resulting in self-censorship and a decline in investigative journalism.

Commenting on the case, SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic said:

SEEMO considers this a serious attack on press freedom in general and the ability to carry out investigative reporting in particular. Vujovic continued, For Serbia to continue its domestic reforms and international integration, it is important that the Serbian authorities understand that journalists, especially in smaller communities where journalists are often the only voice of the public, must be able to report freely on matters of public concern. SEEMO would welcome a decision by the High Court to withdraw the penalty.

Belgrade, 15 April 2009

Snezana Malovic
Minister of Justice
Nemanjina 22-26
11000 Belgrade
Serbia
Via Fax: +381 11 3616-549

Dear Minister Malovic,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the Global Network for a Free Media, and its regional affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), would like to call your attention to the still unsolved murder of Slavko Curuvija, Serbian journalist and publisher killed ten years ago next month.

Slavko Curuvija worked for various publications, including the magazine Evropljanin and the Dnevni telegraf, of which he was the director and editor-in-chief. The journalist, who became a critic of the Slobodan Milosevic regime and of the developments in Kosovo, faced increasing interference with his work starting in 1998. The Dnevni telegraf was banned in October 1998, a large fine imposed on him for his publications late that year, and in early 1999 he only narrowly avoided imprisonment. On 11 April 1999, Serbian Orthodox Easter Sunday, Slavko Curuvija was shot dead by two masked men in front of his home in the centre of Belgrade.

As IPI has highlighted in its Justice Denied campaign (http://www.freemedia.at/justicedenied), and as SEEMO has repeatedly reported over the years, nobody has formally been charged with Slavko Curuvija’s murder. The perpetrators of the assassination, as well as its instigators, remain unknown.

Other journalist killings have gone unsolved in Serbia, including that of Milan Pantic, the Jagodina correspondent for Vecernje Novosti, killed on 11 June 2001, and of Dada Vujasinovic, of Duga magazine, killed on 8 April 1994. This lack of progress suggests, at best, a lack of interest in protecting the media by adequately investigating and prosecuting those who attack journalists.

The impending ten-year anniversary of Curuvija’s death is a sad reminder of how far some are willing to go to silence journalists. We call on you to reinvigorate investigative efforts into this crime, and so send a strong signal that Serbian authorities will not tolerate such violence.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

David Dadge
IPI Director

Oliver Vujovic
SEEMO Secretary General

Vienna, 15/04/2009

Targeting of the Slovak press through civil defamation lawsuits is causing widespread concern among journalists that they cannot do their jobs without fear of reprisal, the International Press Institute warns in a report published today. The report details other concerns, including a right-of-reply law and verbal attacks on the media made by leading politicians.

In one of the most worrying cases, a Bratislava Regional Court ruled in November 2008 that the privately owned Radio Viva must pay more than EUR 30,000 in libel damages to a Slovak judge in connection with a 2004 report on fraud charges brought against him. The decision was handed down despite the broadcaster’s report being based on information from the Ministry of Interior.

IPI’s press freedom audit in Slovakia, carried out in March, found that the Radio Viva case was not an isolated one. The same judge is suing at least 10 news organizations for reporting on the same Ministry of Culture information and seeks damages of more than EUR 4.3 million.

The Radio Viva ruling has had an impact on other radio broadcasters in the country, said IPI Director David Dadge. The ruling is perceived to have been handed down despite the station operating well within the bounds of fair and balanced journalism. Faith that the judicial system is equipped to deal with such situations has also been drastically undermined.

In its report, IPI also expressed concern about the right-of-reply clauses in the Press Act of 2008. These obligate newspapers to publish readers’ replies to any article they feel has affected their reputation. IPI, joined by its affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), and Slovak journalists, strongly condemned the draft provisions in 2008 and contend that such rules could cost newspapers valuable publication time and space, and infringe on editorial independence.

The report also notes that politicians have used public forums to attack the media. Prime Minister Robert Fico on different occasions has called journalists idiots and compared them to slimy snakes.

I would like to see the report … as the beginning of an open debate on the challenges before the Slovak media, especially since we face constant attacks on our work from the government and the prime minister, said Pavol Mudry, chairman of the IPI Slovakia Executive Board.

The IPI report outlines a number of recommendations to improve the media environment in Slovakia. These include:

· Encourage dialogue between the media and the judiciary to improve understanding about media matters.

· Remove criminal penalties for defamation from the penal code.

· Amend the press law to remove the right-of-reply provisions.

· Strengthen self-regulatory media bodies, such as the Slovak Press Council, which is currently underutilised.

Dadge said that as a member of the European Union, Slovakia has a responsibility to bring its media regulations in line with international standards. The government must take action to ensure that the media are allowed to do their jobs independent of political interference, and that laws are not used to harass and abuse journalists, he said.

IPI’s Slovak audit mission was the first in what will be a series of similar assessments to be carried out in countries in central and Eastern Europe.

For more information, contact:

Mirjana Milosevic

SEEMO Press Freedom and Marketing Coordinator

E-mail: info@seemo.org

Vienna, 14/04/2009

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the recent threats directed against Radivoje Gutic, a local correspondent for the Belgrade, Serbia-based daily newspaper Vecernje novosti in Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to SEEMO’s sources, Gutic informed the local police in Trebinje that on 9 April 2009 he received two threatening calls on his mobile phone from a person who identified himself as a senior representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Trebinje. According to Gutic, who has been a journalist for 25 years, the threats came after he reported in Vecernje novosti on different opinions connected to activities of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The latest articles written by Gutic were published in Vecernje novosti on 8 April 2009.

Commenting on the incident, SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic said:

It is essential that journalists are able to report freely and without fear of intimidation or harassment in order that they can carry out their vital activity of informing the public. He added, The Serbian Orthodox Church must be open to critical reporting and allow the media to present different opinions about its activities.