05. 03. 2004

Vecernje Novosti Journalist In Court

ZAJECAR, March 5, 2004 – Long-time Vecernje Novosti journalist Zoran Cvijeticanin appeared in court yesterday in Zajecar, having been sued by biology professors Jasmina Mijovic and Jelica Pavlovic over an article published in August last year. In the disputed article, Cvijeticanin had described the case of a high school first year student J. I., who had an F in biology. The girl also failed to get a pass grade at the repeat exam because (as Cvijeticanin quoted the girl’s parents) she didn’t say hello to Pavlovic when she saw her in the street. The student’s parents wrote to Education Minister Gaso Knezevic and complained to the Education Ministry in Zajecar about the attitude of the teacher, all of which was reported in the article, as well as Mijovic’s comment that “someone who loses has the right to be mad.” Cvijeticanin told the court he saw no reason for the lawsuit since he was simply doing his job. The trial resumes on March 29.