30/09/2011: SERBIA – SEEMO CONDEMNS PHYSICAL ATTACK ON TV TUTIN CREW IN SOUTHWEST SERBIA

Vienna, 30/09/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute, condemns an attack on a TV Tutin crew and urges Serbia`s authorities to protect journalists, especially in local communities. Tutin is a small town in Sandzak, a region in southwest Serbia with a strong Bosniak ethnic minority. TV Tutin is a local public service.

On 27 September 2011, a two-member TV crew was filming construction of a local cultural centre when four individuals approached and started beating them. A doctor examined the injuries of both the journalist and the cameraman. Neither was hospitalized. After beating the journalists, the four individuals went to a nearby café. The police reacted several hours later, when TV Tutin’ s editor-in-chief threatened to call Serbia’s Minister of Interior in Belgrade.

SEEMO recalls that Sandzak is a politically divided society, especially among the Bosniak population. In recent years, some religious figures have been struggling for political influence and have used incendiary speeches to transmit their messages. In some cases, these messages border on hate speech.

“SEEMO urges the authorities in Serbia to protect journalists,” said SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic. “They are particularly vulnerable in smaller towns where political pressure is more direct and people know each other. We hope that the police in Tutin and Sandzak will not allow another attack against journalists.”

Vienna, 03/10/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), condemns continued political pressure on Hungarian minority media in Vojvodina, Serbia.

On 17 September 2011, Rudolf Mihok, the director of Television Panon from Subotica, a town on the border between Hungary and Serbia, was dismissed.

According to the spokesperson of the National Council of the Hungarian Ethnic Minority in Serbia, the regional television did not adequately cover a Hungarian national holiday celebration, held on 20 August 2011.

On 20 June 2011, Csaba Pressburger, editor-in-chief of Serbia´s only daily in Hungarian, Magyar Szo, was also dismissed. As SEEMO reported on 22 June 2011, Pressburger was criticised for supposedly inadequately covering press conferences by certain political parties.

In both cases, it was the National Council of the Hungarian Ethnic Minority, an umbrella organisation of ethnic Hungarians in Serbia, that fired the media executives. This Council is supposed to represent the interests of the national minority. However, its members were elected as party representatives and they appear to represent the interests of their political parties rather than those of the Hungarian minority. One ethnic Hungarian political party has a dominating role.

Legally, the Council acts as a founder of non-private minority media published and broadcast in Hungarian. However, it is not clear what its obligations are, as indicated in the recent statement signed by the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (NDNV). In other words, an institution that was conceived to protect the interests of the biggest national minority in Vojvodina, appears to represent the interest of one political party. That way, ethnic interests are equated with party interests.

“I strongly condemn political pressure on minority media in Hungarian,” said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General. “It is time to rethink the role of the national councils as media founders. Party interests are not the same as public interests, “he added.

Vienna, 03/10/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), condemns political pressure and administrative decisions in the Ukrainian region of Kharkov that resulted in taking the independent ATN TV channel off the air.

Established in 1993, the Television Agency News (ATN) from Kharkov has been facing a series of administrative problems that have prevented it from transmitting its programs. This broadcaster critical of the city mayor and regional administrator has been unable to transmit its programs because no provider would accept to do it.

In a public letter addressed to Ukraine’ s president Viktor Yanukovich, 55 journalists wrote that providers were openly asked to abstain from transmitting ATN programs, while others were asked to delay the service as long as possible. ATN has applied to several providers to transmit their programs. Since 14 September 2011, it has been off the air.

“I urge president Yanukovich to help the ATN TV and make it possible for the channel to broadcast again. Media pluralism is important for Ukraine, the country that aspires to join the European Union,” said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General.

Vienna, 06/10/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute, condemns the use of hate speech in Bulgarian media, and ‘online lynching’, to target Mirolyuba Benatova, an award-winning investigative journalist and star reporter for the private TV channel bTV.

Benatova was one of the first Bulgarian reporters to arrive in the village of Katunitsa on 23 September 2011 to cover ethnic clashes between ethnic Bulgarians and Roma as a result of the alleged deliberate killing of a Bulgarian youngster by a Roma man. When clashes erupted and Roma houses started burning, Benatova reported that the protesters were not only locals, but also football fans from nearby towns. According to her critics, she used derogatory words to describe those around her.

The journalist has since come under a barrage of verbal fire and a victim of hate speech in Bulgarian media; Facebook users have bombarded her with offensive ethnic and political insults.

Although her employer has stood by her, Facebook administrators reportedly banned – with surprising speed – her personal account upon the request of a Facebook group named “Mirolyuba Benatova – enemy of the Bulgarian People”.

Alarmed by the insults, threats and anti-Semitic comments, Benatova sent a note to the online publication Novinite.com: “They demanded that I apologise for calling those they see as representatives of civil society ‘football club fans who behaved outrageously’.” The boys, who took pictures with Nazi gestures in front of the fire, demanded that I say they were righteously angered citizens.”

“Although SEEMO defends press freedom, we strongly condemn hate speech,” said SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic. “I urge Bulgarian media and the online community to refrain from ethnic and religious insults. There are proper channels through which to address any complaints regarding journalists‘ reporting. I hope that Facebook administrators reconsider their decision. Press freedom is not the freedom to disseminate ethnic hatred and intolerance.”

Vienna, 07/10/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), praises the prompt arrest of the police officer who allegedly attacked a professional female photographer covering an anti-austerity rally in Athens on 5 October 2011. Pictures appear to show the policeman hitting Tatiana Bolari, who works for the Athens News Agency and other agencies, causing her to lose a tooth.

Bolari was not the only press representative allegedly targeted by the police. According to the Board of the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Journalists (P.O.E.SY.) seven media workers were hurt by the police.

In June 2011, journalist Manolis Kypraios lost his hearing after a police stun grenade went off next to him while he was covering a protest.

“SEEMO praises the prompt detention of the police officer who allegedly attacked Tatiana Bolari,” said SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic. “All alleged attacks against journalists should be investigated and those responsible sanctioned. I call on the Greek police to abstain from the use of force and to allow media workers to freely exercise their profession.”

Vienna, 14/10/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), condemns the attack against journalist Sasho Dikov. An explosive device was placed underneath Dikov’s car and was detonated on 13 October 2011 around 10pm. The car was parked in front of the journalist´s home in Sofia. Dikov was not in the car. According to the police sources, one kilo of explosives was placed next to the front left tire.

While Dikov is widely known in Bulgaria for his sports reporting, he is also a political commentator. Dikov, the program director of the private television channel Kanal 3, has been critical of the Bulgarian government.

“I urge the Bulgarian police to find the perpetrators and protect journalists,” said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General. “I wish to remind the authorities that another case must also be solved. On 10 February 2011, an explosive was placed in the basement of the Galerija newspaper offices. We are still waiting to see who was responsible for it. In a democratic country, journalists and media should be able to work without fear.”

http://bnt.bg/bg/news/view/62123/politicheski_reakcii_za_vzriva_na_kolata
http://bnt.bg/bg/news/view/62108/vzriviha_kolata_na_sasho_dikov

Vienna, 18/10/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Oragnisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute, condemns renewed threats and pressures against journalists in Serbia.

On 14 October 2011, Anel Grbovic, a journalist with the local Television Novi Pazar (southwest Serbia), received death threats, apparently because he failed to cover a voluntary blood donation event. The organiser allegedly called the journalist and threatened to beat him.

On 6 October 2011, a local politician allegedly threatened Vojkan Ristic, an editor of the Web portal Vranjepres, in Vranje (southern Serbia), because he published a story linking the political party with which the politician was affiliated to a major corruption scandal allegedly involving the mine complex Kulubara.

On 5 October 2011, Hanibal Kovac, a reporter with the local paper Podrinske, in Sabac, south of Belgrade, was hit by an unknown individual who claimed to represent a local businessman.

In a separate development, the public prosecutor in Novi Sad, a town 80 kilometers north of Belgrade, filed charges against Milorad Bojovic, the editor of Nacionalni Gradjanski List, and Jelena Spasic, a journalist working for the publication, because they published an article about the Serbian army. The prosecutor claimed that the article was based on a confidential document of the Ministry of Justice and described the information as dangerous for national security.

“I am concerned at all these press freedom violation cases,“ said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General. “I urge the authorities to find the perpetrators of all the attacks agaisnt journalists and take appropriate legal action. In the case of legal action agaist journalists, it is not acceptable that the prosecutor presses charges against journalists who publish information of public interest. Silencing journalists is a violation of press freedom and the right of the public to know.

“During the V South East Europe Media Forum, which will take place in Belgrade on 2 and 3 November 2011, we will be discussing all the cases of press freedom violations. With the presence of Serbia’s prime minister, Mirko Cvetkovic, who will inaugurate the conference, it will be an occasion to analyse the overall media situation in Serbia and south east Europe.”

Vienna, 21/10/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press institute (IPI), is dismayed by public criticism voiced by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia / Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Gruevski, at the journalist Borjan Jovanovski. In an interview with the state news agency, MIA, published on 18 October 2011, Gruevski criticized Jovanovski for posing a particular question during a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, on 12 October 2011.

At the press conference, European Commissioner Stefan Füle had presented the European Commission’s annual report on several countries in southeast Europe. Authorities in Skopje were allegedly not pleased with the report’s assessment of the media situation in their country.

According to the official transcript of the press conference, Jovanovski asked the following question: “Commissioner, do you think that the report from last year is almost the same, especially with regard to the freedom of media in the judiciary? If not, worse. Do you think that Macedonia could start the negotiation with such a situation, especially in the field of freedom of the media and if the situation continues like this, do you think that Macedonia could preserve the recommendation to start negotiations?”

According to the official transcript, EU Commissioner Füle then replied: “I have visited Skopje at the beginning of September to participate in the conference celebrating 10 years anniversary since the whole framework document being signed. And at that time, and it is no secret, I sent a message to the authorities that with the current pace of reform, or actually the lack of the reform, I was only half-heartened approach the implementation they should not take it for granted that the next year our recommendation would stay as this year even if the main issue has been solved [sic].”

One week later, Prime Minister Gruevski accused the journalist of asking a “prearranged question,” intended “to prepare the terrain” for next year’s “withdrawal of the recommendation [to start accession talks], if the name dispute [with Greece] is not solved by then.”

Gruevski asked why Jovanovski was sitting in the press room, and why it was him and not another journalist who had the right to ask a question. Jovanovski previously worked for the now defunct A1 TV, and was the editor of the “Eurozum” magazine show, which is funded by Brussels and tackles European issues.

Macedonia’s Journalists’ Association (ZNM) condemned the prime minister’s comments and stressed that in a country that respects media freedom, the prime minister should not be the one to decide who is a journalist and which questions they are allowed to ask.

“I am concerned at the statement of the Prime Minister said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General. “A SEEMO delegation met with him during our official visit to Skopje from 4 to 6 October 2011, and Mr. Gruevski told us that the Government would respect press freedom. I hope that his public criticism of Borjan Jovanovski is an isolated incident and that the public shaming of journalists will not be repeated in the future. These practices violate the international standards of press freedom.”

Vienna, 07/11/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), condemns the police raid against Afrika, a Turkish-language newspaper in Northern Cyprus.

On 1 November 2011 the police forcefully entered Afrika’s premises and removed a banner hanging from the balcony of the newspaper´s building. The banner was created by journalists to express solidarity with the general strike organized by the Trade Union´s platform of Northern Cyprus. It consisted of old newspaper headlines.

This is the fourth attack against Afrika in 2011.

On 3 July an armed man came to Afrika’s office looking for its editor-in-chief, Sener Levent, and fired a shot at newspaper employee Ali Osman when Osman opened the door. Osman managed to dodge the bullet and was unharmed. The police arrested a 26-year-old Turkish citizen, Mustafa Yalcin, as a suspect. After the shooting, Levant declared in Cyprus Mail: “Mustafa Yalcin came to the newspaper offices around two weeks ago and confessed to me that he had been assigned to shoot me, but that he’d decided he wasn’t going to do it.”

The editor added, however, that Yalcin had warned him that the plan to kill him had not been abandoned and that the only way to avoid death would be to cultivate “good relations with Ankara”. Afrika is known for its critical articles on Turkish policy towards Northern Cyprus.

On 2 March, as SEEMO reported, Levent received a death threat.

One week earlier, on 25 February, unknown attackers opened fire on Afrika’s office door. One bullet hit the wall and the other lodged in the door. The attackers left a note warning that next time the shots would target the journalist, rather than just his office door.

“Africa seems to be a permanent target,” said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General. “I call on the authorities to stop intimidating this publication and find the perpetrators of all the previous attacks. Journalists have the right to work in a safe and free environment and international standards must be upheld.”

Vienna, 17/11/2011

Budapest- Hungary’s new model of media regulation is creating a chilling effect and undermining freedom of expression said an international partnership mission comprised of leading press freedom and media development organizations today.

The partnership mission to Hungary, which took place from November 14th to 16th, included meetings with lawyers, journalists, editors, professional associations, representatives of civil society, the new media authorities, and the government representative to discuss the situation regarding the enactment and implementation of the new media law, which went into effect on January 1, 2011.

“The confluence of a difficult regulatory environment, deteriorating economic conditions, technological change and convergence in media, and a lack of unity and solidarity within the professional community has created a perfect storm that threatens the future of independent journalism in Hungary,” said Aidan White, head of the mission and an expert with the Media Diversity Institute.

Since the legislation was passed in December of last year, it has received widespread criticism from the international community, including the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the Media Representative of the OSCE, the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of expression, and all leading press freedom and human rights organizations.

Key findings of the partnership mission include:

· The media regulation, particularly with regard to protection of sources, is incompatible with European and international law;

· The legislation provides limited possibilities for judicial review of the decisions of the media authority and the media council;

· The forms of co-regulation that have been developed in response to the legislation are not substitutes for self-regulation and are effectively outsourcing censorship with the co-operation of national and international media owners alike;

· The licensing regime in Hungary has the potential to undermine the promotion of diversity and pluralism, which is an obligation under European and international treaties; and

· Questions remain over the capacity of the reorganized system of public service media to provide pluralist, diverse and quality information as a public good.

“We believe that the concerns expressed by the international community remain valid and we commit ourselves to continue to monitor the impact of the legislation in the coming months,” continued Mr. White.

“We further call on the Hungarian government to openly engage in further dialogue with these experts and to consider changes to remedy the significant failings of the current legislation.”

The International Partnership Mission of freedom of expression and media development groups consisted of:

Article 19, Freedom House, Index on Censorship, Independent Journalism Centre Moldova, International Press Institute, International Media Support, European Federation of Journalists, Media Diversity Institute, Open Society Media Programme, the Network for Reporting on Eastern Europe, South East Europe Media Organisation and South East European Network for Professionalisation of Media.