24. 07. 2008

ANEM TO CONDEMN ATTACKS ON REPORTERS AND CAMERAMEN DURING PROTESTS IN BELGRADE AND NOVI SAD

Belgrade, July 24, 2008 - Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) strongly condemns attacks on reporters and cameramen during protests of several rightwing nationalists' organizations on the occasion of Radovan Karadzic arrest on July 23rd in Belgrade and on July 22nd in Novi Sad.

Protestors threw a bear bottle on Zoran Jovanovic, a cameraman with the FoNet news agency, while he was filming the protest in Decanska Street in Belgrade. A B92 cameraman was kicked, his camera was damaged, and a rubber hose was thrown at him. A reporter with the Srna News Agency was attacked by the protestors, and the same happened to her colleague when he tried to help her. Beta News Agency reported that protestors threatened a Bjeljina based BN Television reporter, too. Reporters' Association of Vojvodina reported that a cameraman with the Novi Sad based Apolo Television was attacked in Novi Sad on July 22, while he was filming protests organized on the occasion of arrest of Radovan Karadzic in Novi Sad.

ANEM representatives are of the opinion that these attacks on media professionals present a renewed attempt to create an atmosphere of fear and anxiety to prevent media from performing their primary function of presenting complete and objective information to the general public on all the issues they are entitled and interested to be informed about, which is necessary in a society that is presenting itself as being democratic.

ANEM adamantly requests that decisive and adequate measures in order to effectively prevent creation of such an atmosphere of fear be taken, and also to protect media professionals, together with the general public and their right to information of general interest. ANEM would thus like to show their full solidarity with their colleagues who suffered these attacks, and also to appeal to the relevant institutions and individuals to identify the perpetrators and bring them before justice. 

Sasa Mirkovic, ANEM Chairman

Related news:

* The Silent Threats to Serbian Media Freedom, Balkan Insight, 30th June 2008, author RTV B92 Director Veran Matic
* B92 Statement, B92 Cameraman Attacked during Today’s Pro-Karadzic Protests, Belgrade, 24th July 2008
* ANEM Severely Condemns Violent Physical Attack Against RTV B92 Cameraman, Continuous Attacks Against Reporters and Cameramen and Absence of Reaction from Relevant State Institutions, Belgrade, 24th July 2008
* CPJ condemns attack on B92 cameraman, New York, 25th July 2008
* Reporters Without Borders Press Release, Paris, 25th July 2008
* IJAS Letter to the Minister of Interior Affairs, Belgrade, 25 July 2008
* IFJ and EFJ Condemn Attacks on Journalists in Belgrade and Demand Protection for Media, 30 July 2008
* Charges Brought Against Attackers on B92 Journalists, Belgrade, 5th August, 2008
* Attacks on the Media in Serbia: Recent and not so recent Past, Belgrade, 21st August 2008, author ANEM Chairman Sasa Mirkovic