16. 05. 2011

South Serbia Journalist 'Attacked'

Belgrade, May 16, 2011. (Balkan Insight) - Nexhat Behljulji, owner of Radio Television Spectra in the southern Serbian town of Bujanovac, was reportedly physically attacked on Friday night at a local restaurant.

The media outlet, which broadcasts in the Albanian language and is one of the most popular stations in the south, says the attack came after a comment was published two days earlier, entitled "No end to the scandals in Bujanovac municipal leadership. "

"The commentary has uncovered the way in which the head of local government Farus Islami, senior official of the PDD [Democratic Action Party], with the help of the Mayor of Bujanovac Saip Kamberi, has abused his office by hiring his wife," Behljulji told Balkan Insight.

Behljulji says that this was the sixth attack in four years against the employees of Spektra, and so far none of the perpetrators have been punished.

"We are only doing our job professionally and we want the government to protect us,"  says Behljulji.

South Serbia is still recovering from armed conflict that broke out a decade ago between Serbian security forces and rebel ethnic Albanians in the Liberation Army of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja. The conflict lasted from November 2000 to June 2001 and ended with the mediation of NATO and the international community.