29/07/2011: GREECE – SEEMO CONDEMNS ATTACK ON SKAI TV IN PIRAEUS, GREECE

Vienna, 29/07/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), condemns taxi drivers´ attacks on SKAI TV in Piraeus, (Athens), Greece. Representatives of taxi drivers’ organizations have been protesting against a government decision to deregulate and liberalize their profession.

On 28 July 2011, taxi drivers vented their anger against SKAI TV; they gathered in the courtyard of the SKAI building and threw sharp objects, stones and bottles at windows. Some protesters blocked the building entrance and impeded journalists from entering and leaving. SKAI video footage shows how angry taxi drivers broke security cameras in order to prevent recording.

“SEEMO calls for better police protection of media outlets. Piraeus prosecutors should investigate this case thoroughly and find the perpetrators. As for the taxi drivers, I believe that attacks against media do not represent a solution to their demands,” said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General.

Vienna, 01/08/2011

Slovakian courts violated a publisher’s rights to freedom of expression and information when they ordered it to issue a correction and pay compensation over reports of a high-ranking police official’s alleged drunken public behaviour, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled.

A seven-judge panel on Tuesday unanimously overruled a decision against Bratislava-based multimedia publishing company Ringier Axel Springer Slovakia, citing a failure to examine whether the reports were written in good faith and in accordance with journalistic ethics.

Concluding that the national courts’ decision violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Strasbourg court also faulted a failure to assess the level of public interest in the articles or to balance that against the individual interests of those concerned.

International Press Institute (IPI) Vice Chairman Pavol Múdry, a member of the board of IPI’s Slovakian Committee, said the committee “welcomes the Strasbourg court’s decision as a clear expression of guidance for Slovak courts and a great step forward for the stabilization of press freedom in the country.”

Former Police Vice President Jozef Petras sued the publisher’s predecessor-in-interest for libel over a series of reports in the print and online editions of Slovakian tabloid NOVY CAS describing a 1999 incident at a restaurant involving Petras and Ján Slota, who at the time was a parliamentary deputy, leader of the Slovak National Party leader and mayor of Žilina.

Tipped off by an anonymous telephone call, a reporter came to the restaurant and observed the two men for about 10 minutes before they left. He concluded that they were inebriated and he wrote a series of pieces based on interviews with witnesses who claimed that Slota was extremely drunk and urinated off the restaurant’s terrace with Petras’ assistance.

The reports also repeated statements that Petras wet his trousers and spoke of organising civic disturbances if Slota would provide protection.

Petras – who was cleared of any impropriety by police investigators and who later left the police force of his own initiative – confirmed that he was at the restaurant with Slota. But he denied the other accounts, and both he and Slota filed suit.

NOVY CAS’s publisher, Ringier Axel Springer Slovakia’s predecessor-in-interest, pointed in its defence to Article 10, which sets forth the right to freedom of expression, including the “freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.” The article also provides that the exercise of these freedoms carries “duties and responsibilities” and may be subject to certain restrictions.

A Slovakian court presiding over Petras’ suit found in his favour, concluding that the publisher had not shown that the information in the reports was truthful. In a decision upheld on appeal, the court noted that the reporter had not actually seen the alleged urination and it ruled that the officer’s interest in having his private life respected prevailed over the public’s interest in the incident.

The court then granted Petras’ request for a correction and an apology, and compensation of 23,000 euros, although that amount was later halved on appeal.

However, the judges in Strasbourg held that although the Slovakian courts made reference to journalists’ good faith and the presence of a public interest in the matter, they had failed to take evidence or to make an analysis or draw specific conclusions on those points.

IPI Director Alison Bethel McKenzie joined Múdry in applauding Tuesday’s decision.

“We are happy the Strasbourg court has provided guidance not only to Slovakian courts on evaluating and upholding the rights to freedom of expression and information, but to courts in all other countries that are signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights,” she said. “A robust, free media is vital to democracy, and journalists should not be punished for reporting ethically and in good faith on matters involving public officials.”

The Strasbourg court’s decision is scheduled to become final in three months unless one of the parties requests – and a five-judge panel grants – a referral to the Grand Chamber of the Court. The case is Ringier Axel Springer Slovakia, a.s. v. Slovakia.

The South and East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an IPI affiliate, supports this release.

Vienna, 01/08/2011

A Turkish court yesterday sentenced the trigger-man in the 2007 murder of International Press Institute (IPI) World Press Freedom Hero Hrant Dink to almost 23 years in prison.

A juvenile court in Istanbul imposed nearly the maximum sentence on ultranationalist Ogün Samast – who was 17 at the time of Dink’s killing – after convicting him of premeditated murder and carrying an unlicensed gun
Samast gunned down Dink, the editor-in-chief of Armenian-Turkish newspaper Agos, in broad daylight outside of Dink’s office in Istanbul.

Dink had received numerous death threats from Turkish nationalists who viewed his journalism as treacherous. He had also faced legal problems for denigrating “Turkishness” under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code in his articles about the massacre of Armenians during the First World War.

IPI Director Alison Bethel McKenzie said: “We welcome the conviction and sentence of Mr. Dink’s murderer, and we hope it brings a measure of closure to his family. Nevertheless, we call on Turkish authorities to hold all those involved in this heinous crime accountable, from those who facilitated it to the masterminds who ordered it.”

A hearing is currently scheduled this Friday in the trial of 18 other defendants charged with involvement in the murder. Their cases were separated from the case against Samast due to his age at the time of the slaying.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled in September that Turkish authorities failed to protect Dink despite having information about plots targeting him.

In other news, 39 detained journalists in Turkey marked the 103rd anniversary of the Day of Journalists and Resistance to Censorship on 24 July by publishing the first issue of the Prisoner Gazette. Printed in black and white, it was distributed together with the dailies Evrensel, Özgür Gündem, Azadiya Welat, Birgün, Aydınlık and Cumhuriyet newspaper.

Contributors to the publication included IPI World Press Freedom Hero Nedim Şener – who was recognized last year for his investigative journalism, and who wrote a book linking authorities to Dink’s murder – and journalist Ahmet Şik. As of next Aug. 3, both Şener and Şik will have spent 150 in prison since being detained in March.

Last week Şener applied to the European Court of Human Rights claiming violations of the European Convention on Human Rights regarding “the prohibition of torture”, “the right to liberty and security” and “the right to freedom of expression”. He requested that the court suspend his detention as an interim measure.

The South and East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an IPI affiliate, supports this statement.

Vienna, 04/08/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), condemns the excessive fines imposed on the Moldovan weekly Ziarul de Garda by the Central Court of Chisinau. If imposed, the 500,000 Mdl (approx. 30,000 EUR) fine may result in the closure of the publication.

On 10 February 2011, Ziarul de Garda published a story on two district prosecutors allegedly involved in corruption. The case was previously investigated by the Centre for Combating Economic Crime and Corruption (CCECC). The charges were later dropped and the two prosecutors sued the paper, demanding compensation for moral damage.

On 1 August 2011, the Central Court of Chisinau ruled that the publication should pay 30 000 EUR. The paper does not have those funds, and if the decision is enforced, its owners may have to sell personal assets and face criminal charges.

Ziarul de Garda has three weeks to appeal the decision with the Appeals Court of Chisinau. However, there is a legal provision in Moldova, according to the papers director, Alina Radu, that states that prosecutors may demand that all the accounts of the publication be blocked until the final decision. The paper had experienced this problem in previous court cases. That provision is meant to secure the funds if the final decision confirms the current payment demands. In practical terms, blocking the funds would indirectly mean the paper’s closure.

Considering that courts in Moldova tend to be slow, the trial against Ziarul de Garda has been surprisingly fast. “The excessive fine imposed on the weekly and the speed of the court procedure make me believe that the Ziarul de Garda case may be about press freedom as much as about defamation. Imposing excessive fines implies silencing the media. I urge Moldovan courts to reconsider the decision and rule according to international standards,” said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General.

Vienna, 05/08/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), supports the demands of professional journalists’ associations in Serbia to participate in a democratic and transparent debate in the formulation of the country’s new media strategy.

Serbia has made several attempts to draft a new media strategy in accordance with international standards. Since 2010, studies have been commissioned and discussions held in order to compile different views related to this strategic document.

Finally, the members of a working group composed of the representatives of journalists’ associations and the Ministry of Culture agreed on a proposal. When media professionals celebrated the agreement, they learned that the Ministry of Culture was allegedly preparing a parallel document and forming an alternative working group.

Media professionals were stunned to learn that the government was “hiding its cards,” said Veran Matic, SEEMO coordinator for Serbia and president of the board of directors of B92. “This is an irreparable mistake that they have inflicted on the democratic process and on us,” he added.

“Additional suspicions stem from the fact that the whole process has been conveyed during summer and the summer vacations, a time of year in which, unfortunately, this Government has used to adopt controversial media legislative acts. The latest examples are the changes to the Public Information Act adopted two years ago, and in the meantime proclaimed unconstitutional. There is a justified fear that something similar might have happened this time, too, and that is why it is important to pay additional attention to democracy and transparency in this important process, which is one of the key processes for the further democratization of Serbia and a better position for journalists and the media in Serbia,” wrote Matic in a letter addressed to the EU Commission and the Council of Europe.

Vukasin Obradovic, president of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) wondered: “Is it in the spirit of democratic procedure that such an important act would be adopted without a public debate?”

In a newspaper interview, Ljiljana Smajlovic, president of the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS), commented: “We want to have an opportunity to give our opinion on the suggestions [for a media strategy] that will be presented by the Ministry of Culture”.

“I fully support the demands of different professional associations in Serbia to participate in a public debate on a new media strategy. This strategy will serve as a basis for future media laws,” said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General.

KOSOVO, 08/08/2011
The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), condemns the latest attacks on journalists in Kosovo.

On 3 August 2011, there were two separate incidents involving physical attacks against journalists.

Shkodran Gajrakuand, a journalist for TV Klan, and Veton Ethemi, a cameraman, were beaten by firefighters when they tried to film a fire in a cemetery in Vushtrri/Vucitrn. They were obliged to seek medical treatment.

Nedjeljko Zejak, Pristina correspondent for the Belgrade-based daily Pravda, was verbally and physically attacked in Gracanica/ Graçanicë by a Kosovo politician’s advisor and her bodyguard. The advisor allegedly disliked an article published in the paper the previous day.

“SEEMO believes that physical attacks are not the way to express dissatisfaction with media coverage. There are other legal channels to present complaints,” said Oliver Vujovic and called on the Pristina authorities “to investigate both cases. Unpunished attacks on journalists are not acceptable in a democratic society,” he added.

Vienna, 22/08/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), condemns the detention of two journalists in northwestern Greece.

On 16 August 2011, the Skopje-based journalists, Goran Momirovski of Kanal 5 television and Milena Gjorgjievska, a journalist with the daily Vest, accompanied a group of senior citizens from the Republic of Macedonia/Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, who were trying to obtain their birth certificates in Florina, northwestern Greece. These citizens, born in Greece, live in the Republic of Macedonia/Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Momirovski told SEEMO that he was filming the people who tried to get their documents and did not film any public buildings. Gjorgjievska did not film anything. They were detained in the street and held for two hours while police reviewed the filmed material in order to make sure no public buildings were filmed.

“It is not acceptable that police detain journalists in the street in a democratic country. I urge the Greek authorities to respect international standards for media freedom and guarantee foreign journalists the right to work freely in Greece,” said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General.

Vienna, 29/08/2011

One month after a car belonging to the Montenegrin daily Vijesti was torched, a new company car was set ablaze on 27 August 2011. This is the third attack on Vijesti property since 14 July 2011, when the first two cars were torched. All four cars – destroyed in three separate attacks – were clearly marked.

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), condemns the series of targeted attacks against the Montenegrin daily newspaper Vijesti. “There seems to be a clear pattern developing here with Vijesti cars systemically set on fire,” said SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic.

Despite the prompt condemnations of the previous attacks, Montenegrin authorities have not been effective in creating an environment in which journalists can work free from pressure.

On 24 September 2010, Zeljko Ivanovic, one of Vijesti’s founders, and several other journalists, received death threats by mail.

On 5 August 2009, Mihailo Jovovic, editor of Vijesti, and Boris Pejovic, a photojournalist, were physically attacked by the mayor of Podgorica and his son while documenting their illegal parking in town. The mayor’s son used his gun to threaten the journalist. Jovovic was treated in hospital for a head injury.

On 1 September 2007, Zeljko Ivanovic was physically attacked by several assailants near a restaurant, where the newspaper was celebrating its 10th anniversary. Ivanovic was injured and received medical treatment. Although the perpetrators of this attack were found, the masterminds remain at large.

“The recurrent attacks on Vijesti lead me to believe that this daily is a deliberate target. I urge the authorities in Montenegro to do everything in their power to find the perpetrators, and prevent such incidents from happening in the future,” said Oliver Vujovic.

Vienna, 30/08/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), condemns the brutal beating of Zorana Bojovic, correspondent for the Serbian news agency BETA in the Russian Federation. The correspondent and her husband, Russian journalist Gennady Sysoyev, were beaten in a town near Moscow on 14 August 2011.

Bojovic spent several days in hospital due to the severity of her injuries. As she informed SEEMO, the police have dismissed the case and the prosecution refrained from pressing charges.

“I am very concerned that what happened to Zorana and Gennady can happen to anyone, either for professional reasons or because they happened to be in the street at the wrong time. I urge the Russian authorities to investigate this case and punish the perpetrators,” said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General.

Vienna, 15/09/2011

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), demands the immediate release of Viktor Lazic, a travel writer for the Belgrade-based daily, Press.

Lazic was detained on 3 September 2011 on the border between Georgia and South Ossetia. According to the journalist, he was detained because he had allegedly crossed the border of the self proclaimed territory of South Ossetia. He is being held in solitary confinement.

During the past four years, Lazic has been travelling around the world and filing weekly stories for Press.

“It is unacceptable to detain a journalist without reason,” said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General. “I urge the authorities in Tskhinvali to give an explanation for his illegal detention and release the journalist immediately.”