13/08/2007: SLOVAKIA – VERBAL ATTACKS AGAINST MEDIA BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS – SLOVAKIA

Vienna, 13/08/2007

The Vienna based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), a global press freedom organisation representing editors, publishers and leading journalists in over 110 countries, is deeply concerned at the latest verbal attacks against media by government officials in Bratislava.

According to information before SEEMO, Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused the media in Slovakia of harassing the Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Family Viera Tomanova. According to the prime minister, the media have directly entered the political arena as participants of political confrontation and competition and they have become the open political opposition against his government. He also added that Tomanova has his full trust. Earlier, the media reported that a non-governmental organization that employed Tomanova before she took up her current position, owes several million crowns in compulsory social insurance payments. Slovak dailies also wrote that her ministry had approved a grant to this NGO despite its debt to the state. Fico has labeled these statements as absurd lies and accusations.

SEEMO believes that media have an important duty to inform the public about the activities of governmental officials in a democratic society. This includes the right to investigate possible irregularities. Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General, added: “to be a politician and especially a member of a government means to be open to critical reports and investigations from the media. This should be respected by every politician. We would like to remind politicians that those with legitimate complaints against the media have a range of different mechanisms to pursue these complaints. However, verbal attacks by one of the most senior members of government are unacceptable”.

Vienna, 13/08/2007

IPI and SEEMO Express Concern about Slovenian Media Environment, Calls for Independent Inquiry to Examine Whether Government Seeks Influence over Media

The International Press Institute (IPI), and its affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), are becoming increasingly concerned about possible political pressure on the Slovenian media.

One of the allegations is that the Slovenian government is indirectly influencing the media through its exploitation of business relationships with companies that have financial holdings in a range of media organisations.

Commenting on the issue, IPI Director Johann P. Fritz said, “I am deeply concerned about the Slovenian media environment at present. Business relationships and share holdings should never be used by the government as leverage to induce independent media organisations to publish favourable news stories.”

“The exercise of editorial independence is fundamental to the credibility of a media organisation and for governments to seek ways of undermining this principle is deplorable in a country that is a member of the European Union.”

“I would call on the Slovenian government to hold an independent inquiry into these recent events and to set up new systems ensuring that the media are always held at arm’s length from the executive branch of government. If this principle has been breached in Slovenia, it is of serious concern not only for the media, but also for the public who rely on their information,” added Fritz.

“SEEMO is aware of such pressures in other countries in the region, but, if found to be true, these events in Slovenia are particularly damaging because of Slovenia’s presidency of the European Union in 2008. Countries who assume the presidency of the EU must lead by example, and I am concerned that it will send a mixed message to other countries about how to influence media coverage,” said SEEMO Secretary-General Oliver Vujovic.

According to information provided to IPI and SEEMO, there have been a number of instances of political pressure on journalists who have written articles critical of the current centre-right government and its president Janas Janza.

In early summer, there were news reports that at Slovenia’s most influential newspaper Delo a number of respected journalists were leaving. Those leaving included journalist Barbara Surk, who specialises in Middle Easter issues. Surk has claimed that she was forced to leave after she was offered a low salary.

Another journalist was Matija Grah, Delo’s Vienna correspondent, who claimed that his reporting on the heated debate over bilingual street signs in Kaernten (Carinthia), Austria, a region containing a Slovenian minority, led to his removal after complaints from the Slovenian government. Delo’s Zagreb correspondent, Rok Kajzer, also found himself in difficulties with the newspaper after a story concerning a disputed border area with Croatia.

Aside from Delo, there have also been problems at the daily Vecer newspaper. At the end of May, some members of the Slovenian Writer’s Association expressed their own concerns about these events in a letter titled, “Against Intimidation and Punishment.

Vienna, 13/08/2007

To:

Vojislav Kostunica
Prime Minister of Serbia
Belgrade, Serbia

Dragan Jocic
Minister of Interior
Belgrade, Serbia

Your Excellencies,

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is alarmed at the death threats made against Stefan Cvetkovic, Editor-in-Chief of the Independent Radio-Television station TNT in the the town of Bela Crkva in Serbia.

According to information before SEEMO, Cvetkovic received telephone threats from a male voice calling from an unknown number. According to SEEMO´s sources, the threat could be an attempt to prevent TNT from investigating crime. In the past, Cvetkovic has received threats because he relased video footage of the activities of certain police officers. Some of the officers were later dismissed from the police force.

SEEMO asks the Serbian authorities to investigate all the circumstances related to these death threats. SEEMO reminds Your Excellencies that there have been many cases of threats and attacks on journalists in Serbia in recent years, including the still unsolved murders of Milan Pantic from the daily Vecernje novosti (in 2001) and Slavko Curuvija, owner of Dnevni telegraf and the magazine Evropljanin (in 1991), as well the the death of freelancer Dada Vujasinovic (in 1994). There are also several other cases of threats against journalists where the attackers have not been found, including this year´s attempted murder of journalist Dejan Anastasijevic who works for the weekly magazine Vreme. We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic

SEEMO Secretary General

Vienna, 18/07/2007

To:

Jozefina Topalli

Speaker of the Albanian Parliament

Jozefina Topalli

Speaker of the Albanian Parliament

Bul. “Deshmoret E Kombit” Nr.4

Tirana
Albania

Fax: +355 4 221764

Your Excellency,

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is alarmed about the recent media freedom situation in Albania, following the escalation of government economic pressure on the media.

According to information before SEEMO, Albanian tax officials have imposed a 12 million euro fine on the holdings of Top Media, owner of Albanians most popular TV station “Top Channel” for unpaid tax. SEEMO believes that any fine handed down to the media should be proportionate and should not be designed to punish the media, harm its commercial viability or drive it into insolvency.

Albanian media organisations and SEEMO are respectful of the rule of law and believe that the government is using the taxation authorities as an instrument to attack media independence. The fact that the fine is applied against a media organisation, which has criticized the government, leads us to believe that the government is attempting to intimidate the Albanian media.

SEEMO believes that in Albania economic pressure is one of the main ways of undermining the media. With this in mind, SEEMO calls on the government to do everything possible to invalidate the fine. SEEMO also appeals to the government to allow the media to work independently and to create a legal framework for the mass media in Albania.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic

SEEMO Secretary General

Vienna, 09/07/2007

To:

Karolos Papoulias
President of Greece

Karolos Papoulias
President of Greece
Vassileos Georgiou II 2
10028 Athens
Greece

Fax: +30 210 7232342

Your Excellency,

Based on information provided to the International Press Institute (IPI) and its affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), the proposed media law titled, “Concentration and Licensing of Media Enterprises and other Provisions” was passed by the Greek parliament on 5 July. The law now has to be signed into force by Your Excellency.

In the opinion of both our organisations, the media law contains a number of provisions regarding language, employment and finances that hinder potential local and regional media from obtaining licenses for news and music radio stations. The result is a law that is designed solely to maintain the present restrictive media environment and further shrink any opportunity for the expression of minority points of view.

IPI and SEEMO are also dismayed that rather than reflecting on this proposed law, the government has chosen to extend parliamentary sessions into July to ensure its immediate passage through parliament. According to our view, the law is flawed and it will impede the growth of media that reflect all elements of Greek society.

With this in mind, IPI and SEEMO call on Your Excellency to withhold your signature, and to encourage the government to consider the impact of this law over the summer. By doing so, we are hopeful that wiser authorities will prevail in the debate over the type of the media that Greece wants for the future.

IPI and SEEMO would also respectfully remind Your Excellency that through its EU membership and adherence to other international standards, the Greek government has an obligation to create a diverse and pluralistic media environment.

Were the law to be passed in its present form these commitments would be severely jeopardised and the government would be seen to be upholding the status quo. If this were to happen, it would be a sad day for all Greek media.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
IPI Director

Oliver Vujovic

SEEMO Secretary-General

Vienna, 04/07/2007

To:

Anna Benaki-Psarouda

President of the Hellenic Parliament

Anna Benaki-Psarouda
President of the Hellenic Parliament
Vas. Sophias 2
100 21 Athens
Greece

Fax: +30-210-3692170

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), a global press freedom organisation representing editors, publishers and leading journalists in over 110 countries, together with its affiliate organisation the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), is deeply concerned at a proposed draft media law containing provisions damaging to press freedom in Greece

According to information provided to IPI, the proposed law titled, “Concentration and Licensing of Media Enterprises and other Provisions”, is currently being discussed in the Greek parliament and is likely to be passed in the near future.

If this were to happen, the Greek media would be faced with a law that appears deliberately designed to actively hinder the regional media’s economic development and exclude minority groups from access to information.

In particular, IPI would highlight Chapter C, Article 8, paragraph 10a, which states that the minimum disbursed capital, namely the money radio station owners have to keep on deposit as a guarantee, is 100,000 euros for radio stations broadcasting news. The figure is 60,000 euros for radio stations broadcasting music. Such a high figure is unlikely to be met by prospective local radio stations.

The figure of 100,000 euros is also aimed at regions with around 100,000 inhabitants giving the radio station a minimum disbursed capital to population ratio of around 1 euro for each inhabitant. When considering that these regions are some of the poorest in Europe this figure is disproportionate and would prevent smaller local media organisations from obtaining licenses.

Regarding the duty to broadcast, paragraph 13a states that the radio station must provide 24 hour programming regardless of whether the station is carrying information or otherwise. Once again, this will act as a disincentive for small media organisations seeking to provide limited, but essential programming for regional minorities.

This perception is further reinforced by an additional sentence in paragraph 13a stating that the main transmission language must be Greek. IPI believes that this flies in the face of the Greek government’s duty to uphold minority rights and breaches the country’s international duties in this area, particularly Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Aside from these requirements, paras 14a and 14b force news and music radio stations to employ a certain number of full-time journalists and other administrative and technical staff in accordance with labour agreements and social security legislation. Para 14b goes on to state that radio stations carrying news and information should have at least 20 members of staff overall, while for music stations this figure is five staff members. Full-time employment under the draft media law is calculated at 20 days of employment per month.

These provisions are similar to the already existing Law 3548, which contains a provision for the print media stating that publishers must hire at least three full-time staff members. IPI strongly believes that these provisions are a barrier to economic development because they demand that media organisations must enter the market at a predetermined size and with a certain level of capitalisation.

This provision is not only anti-competitive, it also prohibits low circulation media, minority or community papers, cultural or special interest products, among others, from having access to the market place. The basic right for a free flow of information should not be tarnished by administrative or bureaucratic measures.

The Greek government is therefore seeking to directly influence the media market through the manipulation of the law.

In consequence, IPI believes that the measures are against freedom of expression and the right to publish or broadcast freely and unhindered by bureaucratic measures. Since your country is a member of the European Union, and has accepted the commitments of the Council of Europe, the OSCE and UNESCO, we intend to inform these institutions by copy of this mail.

We thank you for your attention and appeal to you as President of the Parliament.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz

IPI Director

Oliver Vujovic

SEEMO Secretary-General

Vienna, 16/04/2007

To:

Vojislav Kostunica
Prime Minister of Serbia
Belgrade, Serbia

Boris Tadic
President of Serbia
Belgrade, Serbia

Your Excellencies,

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is alarmed at a recent assassination attempt on a Serbian journalist.

According to information before SEEMO, on 14 April at 2.50 a.m., a bomb exploded in front of the apartment window of Dejan Anastasijevic, an investigative reporter and editor for the Belgrade-based weekly magazine Vreme. The explosion destroyed the windows and the bedroom in his ground floor apartment in the centre of Belgrade, damaging the building and cars parked nearby. Fortunately, no one was injured. The assault may have been connected to his investigative reporting. In the last ten years, Anastasijevic has reported about criminal activities in Serbia, as well as war crimes in the former Yugoslavia.

SEEMO strongly condemns this bomb attack, which was clearly an attempt to kill the journalist and his family.

We urge Your Excellencies to do everything in your power to investigate this case and to prevent such cases from occurring in the future, as well as to secure safe working conditions for journalists. Journalists must be able to work freely, without their lives being threatened due to their reporting.

SEEMO further urges the Serbian authorities to bring to justice the killers of Serbian journalist Milan Pantic, shot dead on 11 June 2001 in the town of Jagodina. In addition, the Belgrade authorities must carry out full and proper investigations into the murder of Slavko Curuvija, director and owner of daily Dnevni telegraf and the magazine Evropljanin, shot dead on 11 April 1999, and the unexplained death on 8 April 1994 of journalist Dada Vujasinovic, a freelancer and contributor to the Belgrade magazine Duga.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic
SEEMO Secretary General

Vienna, 26/02/2007

To:

Sergei Stanishev
Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria

Rumen Yordanov Petkov
Minister of Interior Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria

Georgi Pirinski
Chairman of the National AssemblySofia, Bulgaria

Your Excellencies,

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is alarmed at the pressure applied on the media by the supporters and members of the Bulgarian ATAKA party, including its leader Volen Siderov, on the editorial offices of the Bulgarian daily 24 hours and weekly 168 hours.

Based on information provided to SEEMO, on 23 February at about 1.40 pm Siderov, his deputy Pavel Shopov, and Dimitar Stojanov, ATAKA Member of the Bulgarian Parliament and Member of the European Parliament, together with a group of party supporters, went to the editorial office of two newspapers. In addition, another organised group of some 100 supporters was waiting nearby. When at the editorial office of the print media, the group requested from the journalists a document to justify an article published on the previous day about some financial transactions.

During the visit journalists and editors from both newspapers were threatened, humiliated and verbally abused. During the invasion of the newspapers’ editorial office one ATAKA politician allegedly threatened Nikolai Penchev, editor-in-chief of 168 hours. The politician apparently said to Penchev that he would “rip out” his liver and that he knows where Penchev lives.

We would like to remind Your Excellencies, that those with legitimate complaints against the media have a range of different mechanisms to pursue these complaints. These violent threats represent a serious attempt to pressure the media and they should be condemned whenever and wherever they occur. SEEMO would also like to remind Your Excellencies that a safe working environment for journalists is a fundamental element of every democratic society. Bulgaria in now a member of the European Union (EU) and these violent actions against journalists by the members and supporters of a political party in an EU country are unacceptable.

Your Excellencies, we ask you to fully investigate this case, including the verbal threats made against the journalists. We call on Your Excellencies to do everything in your power to protect the lives of all journalists, and to take all necessary steps against the persons responsible for this unwarranted invasion of a newspaper. We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic
SEEMO Secretary General

Answer from Rumen Yordanov Petkov, Minister of Interior Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria

Sofia February 27th 2007

To:

Mr. Oliver Vujovic

SEEMO Secretary Genera

Dear Mr. Vujovic,

In reply to the letter sent on behalf of the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), signed by you, I can assure you I totally share the opinion that “a safe working environment for journalists is a fundamental element of every democratic society”. The reaction of the Ministry of Interior officials to the referred incident in the editorial offices of the Bulgarian newspapers 24 Hours and 168 Hours unambiguously confirms that we are able to ensure and protect the freedom of speech and journalists’ security. I hope that a review of the facts’ chronology from Friday afternoon will convince you in that.I was informed immediately about the incident by the First Regional Police Department within the Sofia Metropolitan Police Directorate, which is responsible for the territory where the editorial offices are situated. On 23rd of February at about 2.47 p.m. operators on the hotline 166 received a phone call from Mr. Radomir Cholakov, chief jurisconsult of the 168 Hours newspaper. He informed them that Volen Siderov, leader of the parliamentary represented party Ataka and 30 – 40 supporters of the party had come into the newspaper’s editorial office at the Printing House. They had rushed into the editor-in-chief’s office and had started abusing and threatening. The cause for that had been a publication in the newspaper’s latest issue. Immediately after receiving the signal, auto patrols, police investigators and operative workers of the First Regional Police Department, as well as forces of the Specialised Unit for Protection of the Sofia Metropolitan Police Directorate were sent to the incident’s venue. They ascertained the following: at approximately 1.30 p.m. the deputy editor-in-chief of 168 Hours received a call by the security guard of the building, asking him whether he expected citizens’ visit to the editorial office. While discussing the appointments with the editor-in-chief, a large group of people crowded in front of the 168 Hours editorial office and rushed into the 24 Hours corridor, and afterwards headed to the weekly newspaper’s editorial office. The group was lead by Mr. Volen Siderov and other Ataka MPs – Pavel Shopov, Dimitar Stoyanov and Georgi Dimitrov. They headed towards Mr. Penchev’s office where some of the supporters, by using provocative shouts, threatened the editor-in-chief with taking the law in their own hands. After that they went into random editorial rooms, looking for the publication’s author. Mr. Siderov was asked several times to leave the editorial office but he refused. The MPs and the citizens that accompanied him continued to threaten the journalists after which they left the building. The head of the Sofia Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Mr. Nalbantov, was informed immediately about the incident. By his order, a prosecutor was sent to the venue to supervise the situation and to execute the procedural and investigative activities. A pre-trial case against an unknown perpetrator was instituted under Art.212, Para 2 of the Penal Procedure Code. The criminal procedure is for committing indecent activities, grossly violating the public order and expressing obvious disrespect to society – a crime under Art.325, Para 1 of the Penal Code. By an order of the prosecutor M. Beshkov, dated February 26th, interrogations of the personnel of both editorial offices, who had witnessed the incident, were requested. The order also stated “all the MPs and supporters of the parliamentary represented party Ataka, present at the 24 Hours and 168 Hourswitnesses, about the circumstances that have to be proven”. The order gives directions for executing technical expertise reports on the collected evidence on the case. newspapers’ editorial offices, have to be interrogated, in their capacity of I’m deliberately giving you the facts about the case in detail, because I am convinced in the public significance of the act of violation against the freedom of speech, as well as in the fact that the law enforcement officials have reacted to the signal from the editorial office in due course. Even more concerning is the fact that the MPs which have been asked to give explanations on the case have not so far gone to the police for interrogation – this is extremely alarming because the persons concerned represent the people and are vested with power. As Minister of Interior I cannot accept a behaviour that hinders the work of the law enforcement and the judicial authorities, since all of us request and expect fast investigation and guaranteeing of citizens’ security and safety. I’m aware that the police are defending peoples’ rights and freedoms. I have informed the Prime Minister about MPs not showing in the police. Acquainting you with the facts for the time being, I would like to assure you once more that the Bulgarian police have undertaken duly and professionally all the necessary activities to examine the case and to protect journalists’ security. As a confirmation to my words, I hope that you’ll accept the invitation to discuss the case with you personally or with other representatives of SEEMO.

Signed,

Rumen Petkov
Round Stamp of the Ministry of Interior

Vienna, 22/02/2007

To:

Ivo Sanader
Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia

Ivica Kirin
Minister of Interior Affairs of the Republic of Croatia

Your Excellencies,

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 at several anonymous death threats made to Robert Valdec, the anchor and journalist of the investigative television programme, “Istraga,” shown on Nova TV in Croatia.

Based on information provided to SEEMO, Valdec received several threats during 2006, but they became more serious in December 2006 when he received numerous death threats by telephone and email.

The television show “Istraga”, which has been broadcast since September 2005, is a weekly criminal investigation programme. The programme shows a compilation of dozens of crime stories involving organized crime, violence against children or women, drug dealers, war crimes, and corruption, among others.

SEEMO supports the HND (Croatian Journalists’ Association), which has asked Croatian officials to fully investigate the death threats made to Valdec. SEEMO also supports HND’s assertion that those with legitimate complaints against the media have a range of different mechanisms to pursue these complaints. Death threats represent a serious attempt to pressure the media and they should be condemned whenever and wherever they occur.

SEEMO has also been informed that the police have started an investigation. With this in mind, we call on Your Excellencies to do everything in your power to protect Valdec’s life and those of his family members, and to take all necessary steps against the person or persons responsible for these threats.

We would also like to remind you that, on numerous occasions in 2006, SEEMO has been informed of threats made to other investigative journalists in Croatia. SEEMO is deeply concerned about the safety of Croatian journalists and asks Your Excellencies to do everything in your power to urgently investigate these cases.

SEEMO views all of these threats as a serious violation of press freedom and the rights of journalists and would also point out that, around the world, the issue of a death threat is often the precursor to murder. Therefore, the authorities must take them seriously.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic

SEEMO Secretary General

Vienna, 06/02/2007

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 the worsening situation for journalists in the South Eastern European (SEE) region. The murder of the Armenian-Turkish writer and editor, Hrant Dink in Turkey on 19 January 2007 shows once again that journalists may easily become victims in the fight for press freedom and freedom of speech. Dink worked as the columnist and editor-in chief of the Agos weekly newspaper. He started this paper in 1996 as a bridge for better understanding between the larger Turkish population and the Armenian-Turkish community. For his reporting, he received a six-month suspended sentence on 7 October 2005 under article 301 of the penal code for insulting Turkishness. In December 2005, a Turkish court opened a new case against Dink after he expressed comments about the court’s original decision.

SEEMO hopes that, after a 17-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of killing Dink, there will be a full and transparent investigation by the Turkish authorities. SEEMO also hopes that article 301, which in its opinion is a legal absurdity, will be removed from the Turkish penal code.

The killing of Dink is a reminder that there are still a number of unsolved cases of journalists killed because of their reporting in the SEE region. There are three such cases in Serbia. SEEMO calls on the Serbian officials to investigate the murder of Slavko Curuvija, owner of the Belgrade daily Dnevni Telegraf and the magazine Evropljanin, as well as the murder of Milan Pantic, a local reporter for the Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti. Curuvija was gunned down near his home in the centre of Belgrade on 11 April 1999, while Pantic was murdered on 11 June 2001, in the central Serbian town of Jagodina. SEEMO calls on the Belgrade authorities to investigate once again the murder of the journalist Dada Vujasinovic on 8 April 1994.

SEEMO is also alarmed about the December 2006 criminal defamation charges laid against Dogan Harman and the daily newspaper Kibrisli, where he is the publisher and editor-in-chief. Dogan and Kibrisli are charged with allegedly insulting officials in the Turkish controlled area of Cyprus, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. SEEMO believes that criminal defamation and insult laws are an anachronism that should be removed from every legal system. Moreover, public officials need to be afforded less, not more, protection from defamation than ordinary citizens. The world’s leading courts, including the European Court of Human Rights, and leading inter-government organisations, support the decriminalisation of defamation.

With the above in mind, SEEMO is concerned by the decision of the Romanian Constitutional Court to annul a parliamentary decision removing defamation from the Romanian Criminal Code. SEEMO asks Romanian officials to stop jailing journalists and to end the criminalisation of insult and libel in Romania. In addition, in her December 2006 decision, the Romanian Minister of Justice, Monica Macovei, attacked freedom of the media in her country. The Emergency Ordinance 131/2006 was adopted regarding free access to the personal information of the staff belonging to the Department for the Investigation of Offences, Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT). The Emergency Ordinance represents a new threat to privacy and to freedom of the press. In 2006, SEEMO protested the decision of DIICOT investigators to remove information saved on computers belonging to several Romanian journalists. The removal of information was made without any foundation in law.

Regarding press freedom developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, SEEMO notes that on 12 January 2007 the Vice Prime Minister of Republika Srpska, Ante Kasipovic, announced a boycott of the Bosnian-Herzegovian state-wide public broadcaster and its TV channel BHT 1. According to SEEMO, this is a clear attempt to apply political pressure on the editorial independence of a public broadcaster.

Commenting on these press freedom violations in the SEE region, SEEMO Secretary General, Oliver Vujovic, said, “SEEMO strongly condemns these threats and attacks, as well as any government or state action that restricts the work and movement of journalists. I am very concerned about the worsening working conditions for journalists in the SEE region at the beginning of this year; particularly as many of the cases show that pressure was exerted by politicians or their representatives.”