28. 05. 2007

NEW PRESSURES ON PROFESSIONAL MEDIA

BELGRADE, May 28, 2007 - The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) strongly protests against continuous pressures and attacks on media that report on war crimes in former Yugoslavia, glorification of indictees in war crimes processes and denial of these crimes.

On Saturday, May 26, several hundred members of the Serbian Radical Party and Obraz movement had been pasting posters with the name of the Hague indictee Ratko Mladić. The action took place in front of the B92 building in New Belgrade, where gathered crowd shouted insults at B92 employees. Later that afternoon, in front of the B92 building, there was another gathering of the supporters of the Hague fugitive, general Mladić, this time members of an NGO, the so-called Families of Serbian Football Fans. 

At his party's press conference, Aleksandar Vucic from the Serbian Radical Party has accused the management of B92 of criminal conduct, effectively announcing that his party will target B92. He claimed that this media house, a member of ANEM, campaigns under instructions of occupiers against people with differing views.

Minister Dragan Jočić from Democratic Party of Serbia said that all gatherings were reported to the authorities. He also stated that he considered pasting of posters that glorify a war crime indictee an expression of a legitimate political attitude.

ANEM believes that minister's attitude is worrisome, especially considering numerous unsolved cases of attacks against B92, from the bomb planted under the reporting vehicle to continuous threats to B92 journalists and the recent attempt on the life of journalist Dejan Anastasijevic immediately after his appearance in the programme of Radio B92.

ANEM points out that it is of utmost importance that Serbian government provides necessary conditions for the media to work without hindrance and, through legal actions, prevent the damage to the integrity of judiciary caused by the glorification of fugitives.

ANEM calls on the media and professional organizations to demonstrate their solidarity with media outlets exposed to the pressure because of their professional reporting. ANEM appeals to the democratic public to react to all attempts to deny crimes or present such acts as legitimate political opinion.

Sasa Mirkovic,

ANEM Chairman