16/05/2003: ALBANIA – TREATMENT OF ALBANIAN JOURNALIST GAZMEND KAPLLANI

ALBANIA, 16/05/2003

To:

Mr. Michalis Chrysochoidis
The Minister of Public Order
Fax: + 30 210 691 7944

Mr. Constantine Skandalidis
The Interior Minister
Fax: +30 210 364 1048

Athens

Greece

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 the treatment of Albanian journalist Gazmend Kapllani who lives and works in Greece.

Kapllani is of Albanian origin and has lived in Greece as a legal resident for more than 10 years. He is a columnist for the Greek newspaper, Ta Nea, and also produces regular programmes for migrants on the state radio station NET 105.8. In addition, he often writes for the Albanian newspaper, Koha Jone. At the same time, he is a Ph.D. candidate at the Panteion University in Athens.

According to the information before SEEMO, Kapllani applied for the renewal of his residence permit on 26 February 2002 and received an answer one year later on 27 February 2003. His request was refused after the Ministry of Public Order intervened with the Immigration Office indicating that Kapllani was considered to be a “dangerous person for public order and the national security of Greece”. The police have never substantiated this serious accusation.

After several public interventions in Greece, on 11 March 2003, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Order, Mr. Eystadiades told Kapllani that the matter would be resolved in a few days. However, on 15 March, Kapllani was arrested in his home by two policemen who did not possess an arrest warrant. Subsequently, he was sent to the prison for foreigners in the Kolono district of Athens. The Greek authorities had the clear intention of deporting him because without a residence permit he was residing in Greece illegally. Once again, there were interventions on his behalf and he was released.

Furthermore, SEEMO is informed that the Ministry of Public Order still refuses to reverse its unsubstantiated belief that Kapllani is a dangerous person.

Therefore, SEEMO urges Your Excellency to do everything in your power to examine this case urgently, to publicly explain the reason for labeling Kapllani a “dangerous person for public order and the national security of Greece”, and to provide evidence for the allegations. SEEMO also invites the Immigration Office to solve the  problem of Kapllani’s status in Greece as soon as possible.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic
SEEMO Secretary General

Vienna, 07/05/2003
To:

Rauf R. Denktash
Leader of the Turkish-Cypriot Community
Lefkosa

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
By Fax: +90 392 22 722 52

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), strongly condemns the ongoing inhuman treatment of the Turkish-Cypriot journalist Shener Levent, publisher of the AVRUPA-AFRIKA newspaper.

According to information before SEEMO, on the night of Saturday, 4 May 2003, Shener Levent went to the Turkish roadblock in order to cross into the area of Nicosia, but was stopped by Turkish-Cypriot authorities in civilian clothes and not allowed to leave the so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”. Consequently, Shener Levent could not meet his colleagues from the Union of Cyprus Journalists, who were waiting for him for a scheduled meeting.

In SEEMO’s opinion, the actions of the authorities against Shener Levent are a violation of the principles of human rights treaties and other instruments, as well as international law.

Therefore, SEEMO denounces the action of the Turkish regime and supports the Cypriot journalists and people, who gathered on 6 May at the Ledra Palace checkpoint in order to demonstrate their support for Shener Levent.

SEEMO demands the immediate and unconditional release of Shener Levent and other journalists in the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”. We further urge that your authorities respect the fundamental principles of international law and basic human rights, including the principles of freedom of opinion and expression, and the free flow of information.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic

SEEMO Secretary General

Vienna, 02/05/2003

To:

Mr. Milo Djukanovic
Prime Minister

Podgorica
Montenegro
By Fax

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 the decision of the Employment Centre of Montenegro to stop advertising available jobs in the Montenegrin daily, Vijesti.

On 29 April, the Employment Centre, the government institution responsible for employment policy, stopped submitting material for publication in Vijesti after five years of cooperation, thereby depriving Vijesti’s readers of information regularly printed in the newspaper’s Wednesday supplement, “Available Jobs”. Because there was no official notice from the Employment Centre about ending this cooperation, Vijesti’s editor-in-chief Slavoljub Scekic called the Centre’s director, Branimir Bojanic, to ask for the reasons behind the decision. Bojanic’s answer was, “Do you, Mr. Scekic, read your newspaper?” According to SEEMO’s sources, Mr. Bojanic had personally extended the contract with Vijesti less than two months earlier.

SEEMO is informed that the Employment Centre has now decided to publish future advertisements in the daily newspapers Pobjeda and Publika, which together have a circulation of only 10,000 copies.

In SEEMO’s opinion, the Employment Centre’s decision to end its cooperation with Vijesti is politically motivated since Vijesti has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Montenegro (20,000 copies) and is the independent daily which enjoys the greatest trust among the country’s citizens. According to the most recent CEDEM polls, Montenegro’s citizens put their largest trust in Vijesti (21.6 per cent), followed by Dan (14.8 per cent), Pobjeda (13.8 per cent), Vecernje Novosti (7.1 per cent) and Publika (3.4 per cent).

Unfortunately, this step taken by the Employment Centre is reminiscent of past decisions taken during Milosevic’s dictatorship in Serbia and the unified DPS rule in Montenegro.

SEEMO urges Your Excellency to revise this decision by the Employment Centre, since there is a valid contract, which obliges it to further advertise with Vijesti under conditions signed by both parties.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic

SEEMO Secretary General

Vienna, 20/03/2003

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, and its affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), are concerned about developments in Serbia, where a state of emergency has been declared following the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic on 12 March 2003.

On 17 March 2003, the Official Gazette (Sluzbeni glasnik Republike Srbije) published an Order on the prevention of “public information, distribution of press and other information about the reasons for declaring the state of emergency and the implementation of measures during the state of emergency”.

According to the information before SEEMO, editors are asked to report only on official announcements from government agencies, representatives of political parties or press conferences, and should refrain from reporting on the reactions of those arrested in the wake of the prime minister’s assassination. Media outlets violating the order could be fined between 50,000 and 500,000 dinars, while the responsible persons could be fined between 10,000 and 100,000 dinars.

Under the state of emergency, the Ministry of Culture is authorised to prohibit the printing, distribution and publication of information, and can also temporarily stop broadcasts and news agency reports.

SEEMO understands the difficult period that Serbia’s young democracy faces after the assassination of Zoran Djindjic and know that everything is being done to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous crime. However, we also believe that it is important to choose instruments that will not hinder democratic developments in Serbia. The new rules, with their restrictions on the media, pose a serious threat to press freedom and are open to abuse by the authorities.

In the opinion of SEEMO, it is important not to restrict the free flow of information during this time of crisis. “Effective investigative reporting, which is essential to any democratic society, is not possible in Serbia under the current circumstances,” Johann Fritz, Director of IPI, said. “IPI notes that the distribution of several newspapers has already been prohibited. We sincerely hope that the state of emergency will be lifted soon and that the media will be allowed to publish information it deems important to the Serbian public.”

Vienna, 05/03/2003

Mr. Slavoljub Matic
President, Municipal Assembly of Pozarevac
Fax: + 381 12 222 521

Cc: Ms. Natasa Micic
Acting President of Serbia and
President of the Parliament of Serbia
Fax: + 381 11 682 850

Republic of Serbia
Dear Mr. President,

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 two events that recently took place in the city of Pozarevac in Serbia: the physical attack on Mile Veljkovic, local correspondent for Beta news agency and the daily newspapers Danas and Blic, and the pressures applied on journalists at Radio Boom 93.

According to SEEMO sources, Mile Veljkovic, when attending the constituent session of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) Pozarevac Branch on 8 February 2003, was reportedly assaulted by Bojan Stamatovic of the DSS, who pulled Veljkovic by his ear, removed his glasses and mobile phone and slapped him in the face in plain view of 200 DSS members. Veljkovic said the media were prevented from attending the session by the chief DSS representative Srba Stojanovic. When Veljkovic objected, he was physically assaulted.

SEEMO also condemns the pressures applied on journalists, editors and the director of the Pozarevac-based Radio Boom 93 by Slavoljub Matic, President of the Municipal Assembly of Pozarevac and Member of the Parliament of Serbia for the DSS. According to information before SEEMO, Matic has been putting pressure on Radio Boom 93, demanding that the radio station changes its editorial policy. He has told editors and journalists at Radio Boom 93 not to broadcast statements of members and officials of certain parties and NGOs. Recently, Matic also made telephone calls to the director of Radio Boom 93 and verbally attacked him for reporting about the pressure applied on the station.

SEEMO would like to remind you that in every democratic society it is vital that journalists are allowed to work without obstruction. We therefore urge you to ensure that journalists and media outlets in Pozarevac are not harassed and that freedom of expression and press freedom are upheld.

Sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic,

SEEMO Secretary General

Vienna, 04/03/2003

To:

Stipe Mesic
President of Croatia

Ivica Racan
Prime Minister of  Croatia

Sime Lucin
Minister of Internal Affairs of Croatia

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 the attack on Ninoslav Pavic, co-owner and president of the Managing Board of Europapress Holding (EPH), the biggest independent newspaper publisher in Croatia.

According to information before SEEMO, a bomb underneath Pavic’s car exploded in front of his house in Zagreb at 4 a.m. (local time) on 1 March

2003. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the attack.

SEEMO believes that the aim of the attack was to intimidate and silence journalists working for EPH, especially journalists for the weekly Globus

and daily Jutarnji list, who have published numerous articles about organised crime and corruption in Croatia. In the past, journalists for

Globus and Jutarnji list, as well as other media in Croatia, have been harassed, intimidated and threatened because of their investigative

reporting. During recent months, the number of these threats has increased significantly. The bomb that exploded under the car of Pavic is the

culmination of these events, and the authorities have done little to investigate these cases.

SEEMO strongly condemns the attack on Pavic, as well as the other cases of intimidation against journalists in Croatia, and calls upon the authorities

to carry out an immediate and thorough investigation and to bring to justice those responsible. Furthermore, we ask you to do everything in your power to ensure that journalists working in Croatia are able to safely carry out their profession.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic
SEEMO Secretary General

Vienna, 27 November 2002

The South East Europe Media Organisation condemns the today shut down of a newspaper in Belarus.

Authorities in Minsk have shut down the independent newspaper Mestnoe vremya , claiming the paper had not legally registered its office.

Vienna, 1 November 2002

The Vienna South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is following developments connected to media freedom in Russia with concern.

Media coverage of the conflict in Chechnya (Чечня́) is for a longer period heavily controlled by state officials. State authorities must approve the movements of most journalists allowed in Chechen Republic and Russian military oversees their activities.

During the crisis connected a terrorist act when a group of Chechen rebels seized a Moscow theatre, where some 700 people were attending a performance of the musical “Nord-Ost”, Russia’s officials temporarily closed the private Moscow television station Moskoviya for allegedly promoting terrorism and forced the independent Moscow-based Ekho Moskvy radio to remove from its Web a a telephone interview with a hostage-taker.

The Russian Assembly approved today on 1 November 2002 a series of new restrictions on the press

According to new regulations, as state officials say, media should not be allowed to give out information that would hinder counterterrorist operations, threaten lives, or function as terrorists – propaganda.
The amendments to the media law would block the media from distributing information that would hinder counterterrorist operations or reveal tactics used in such operations or information about people involved in them. Additional publication or broadcasting of propaganda or justification of extremist activity will be forbiden. State officials would decide what is a propaganda, extremist activity or counterterrorist operation.

Also today on 1 November Russian police searched the premises of the Moscow weekly newspaper, Versiya, connected to information published in an article by the newspaper on 27 May this year.

Vienna, 30 October 2002

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the authorities in Tajikistan after nine journalists were arrested on 28 October. Officers from the military commissariat in Khujand forced their way into the building of the SM-1 and TRK-Asia TV stations.

Six journalists were later released, but three journalists, Akram Azizov, 21; Nasim Rahimov, 20; and Yusuf Yunusov, 21, were reportedly taken to the Khujand military base. All nine journalists participated in a journalism workshop organized by the U.S.-based organisation Internews.

Vienna, 30 October 2002

The Vienna South East Europe Media Organisation is asking a transparent and fast investigation connected to the case of Sergei Duvanov. Duvanov is editor in chief of the news bulletin Human rights in Kazakhstan and in the world, published by the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law (KIBHRL). Duvanov, writes also for opposition web sites.

Duvanov was arrested at his house and accused of raping a 14-year-old girl. The arrest occurred one day before he was going to visit the United States to speak about the human rights situation in his country.

On 28 August 2002 Duvanov was attacked near his home. On 9 July 2002, the General Prosecutor’s Office charged him with “infringing the honour and dignity of the Kazakhstan president”