(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Interior Minister Vlajko Sojiljkovic, RSF has protested the seizure of the independent daily “Reporter”, published in Banja Luka, in the Bosnian Serb Republic. The organisation asked Serbian authorities to guarantee the free circulation of “Reporter” and of the Bosnian Serb press in Serbia. On 21 September 1999, the Serbian […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Interior Minister Vlajko Sojiljkovic, RSF has
protested the seizure of the independent daily “Reporter”, published in
Banja Luka, in the Bosnian Serb Republic. The organisation asked Serbian
authorities to guarantee the free circulation of “Reporter” and of the
Bosnian Serb press in Serbia.
On 21 September 1999, the Serbian editions of “Reporter”, an independent
weekly critical of the Belgrade regime, were seized at the border by Serbian
police. According to the publication’s editor, Perica Vucinic, this measure
may have been motivated by the publication of an article on the 200 richest
families in Serbia, titled “They have looted Serbia”, and denouncing
embezzlement in the country. The same issue also featured a text on press
freedom abuses in Serbia. On 9 June, the daily and weekly Serbian editions
of “Nezavisne Novine”, a Banja Luka newspaper which has often featured
columns by Serbian opponents to the Slobodan Milosevic regime, were seized
by Serbian police (see IFEX alert of 10 June 1999).
