19. 08. 2005

SERIOUS VIOLATION OF JOURNALISTS' RIGHTS

H.E. Vojislav Kostunica Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia H.E. Zoran Stojkovic Minister of Justice of the Republic of Serbia Vienna, 19 August 2005 Your Excellencies, The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is alarmed about the recent insults and threats by a high-ranking Serbian politician and his advisor directed at journalists. According to information before SEEMO, on 15 August, during a press conference in Kopaonik, Serbian Capital Investments Minister Velimir Ilic was answering questions about the court case against Marko Milosevic, son of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. Taking exception to the questions asked by the RTV B92 reporter, Ana Veljkovic, he started insulting the station's journalists and said they were sick and needed psychiatric treatment. According to Veljkovic, after Ilic left the conference, his media advisor, Petar Lazovic, approached her and started insulting her. He told her to tell Veran Matic, director and editor-in-chief of RTV B92, that he would kill him. SEEMO regards these insults and threats as a very serious and direct violation of press freedom and journalists' rights. We ask Your Excellencies to start an investigation into this case and to take all necessary legal steps. We would like to remind Your Excellencies that a safe working environment for journalists is a fundamental principle in every democratic society. We thank you for your attention. Yours sincerely, Oliver Vujovic SEEMO Secretary General