(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is deeply alarmed by recent police attacks against journalists covering political demonstrations in Belgrade during the week of 27 September 1999, and by police attempts to close down the opposition newspaper “Glas Javnosti”. **Updates IFEX alert of 30 September 1999** According to CPJ’s sources, Belgrade police attacked at least four reporters on […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is deeply alarmed by recent police attacks against
journalists covering political demonstrations in Belgrade during the week of
27 September 1999, and by police attempts to close down the opposition
newspaper “Glas Javnosti”.
**Updates IFEX alert of 30 September 1999**
According to CPJ’s sources, Belgrade police attacked at least four reporters
on the evening of 30 September. Slavisa Lekic from the Banja Luca newspaper
“Reporter”, and Julijana Mojsilovic of Reuters were clubbed by police while
covering protests led by the Alliance for Change, a coalition united in
opposition to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosovic.
An eyewitness from the Beta news agency in Belgrade also reported seeing
police break the lens of a camera belonging to Imre Sabo, a photographer
with the local daily “Danas”, while Belgrade’s independent TV Studio B
announced that police smashed the TV camera of Studio B cameraman Zoran
Vujovic and confiscated equipment belonging to a local radio station.
On Wednesday 29 September, at least five journalists were among a group of
over forty-five people attacked by riot police during a protest march that
apparently attracted over 20,000 anti-Milosovic demonstrators. Aleksandra
Rankovic, a Beta News Agency reporter, and Milos Radivojisa, a cameraman
with Belgrade’s Video Nedeljnik, were clubbed by police as they attempted to
follow protesters to Dedinje, a Belgrade suburb where President Milosovic
resides.
Two other journalists, an unnamed CNN and SKY TV cameraman and Reuters
photographer Goran Tomasevic, were also attacked. Police destroyed their
equipment and confiscated their footage of the demonstration.
Shortly after midnight on the morning of Friday 1 October, police sealed the
office of the opposition newspaper “Glas Javnosti” and shut down its
printing press, which sources say was used to print leaflets and flyers for
opposition parties, including the Alliance of Change.
“Danas” quoted Serbian Information Minister Alexander Vucic to the effect
that while the interior ministry is technically responsible for protecting
journalists, the latter should in fact expect to “take care of their own
safety.”
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the minister:
disregard
for the safety of journalists in Yugoslavia
journalists in his country may practice their profession without fear of
violent retribution from the state
Appeals To
Goran Matic
Federal Minister of Information
Palace of Federation, 2 Lenin Boulevard
Belgrade, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Fax: + 38 111 600 446.
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
