(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ press release: **Updates previous IFEX alert of 12 April 1999** Media Release 12 April 1999 IFJ Condemns Curuvija’s Murder and Warns that Attacks May Increase The IFJ today condemned the murder of Slavko Curuvija, the owner and editor-in-chief of Dnevni Telegraf. Mr Curuvija was shot by two people […]
(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ press release:
**Updates previous IFEX alert of 12 April 1999**
Media Release
12 April 1999
IFJ Condemns Curuvija’s Murder and Warns that Attacks May Increase
The IFJ today condemned the murder of Slavko Curuvija, the owner and
editor-in-chief of Dnevni Telegraf. Mr Curuvija was shot by two people on 11
April and died of bullet wounds to the head and back. His wife was assaulted
in the attack.
The shooting occurred at the entrance of Mr Curuvija’s home and the
journalist died before help arrived.
Mr Curuvija’s newspaper, Dnevni Telegraf, and Mr Curuvija had been fined
several times under the Serbian Information Law and in March Mr Curuvija and
two journalists were convicted of criminal defamation of a member of the
government.
“This murder is all the more shocking because it is difficult to believe
that it is unrelated to the editorial content of Dnevni Telegraf” said Aidan
White, General Secretary of the IFJ.
“Those in power had been unable to silence him and his newspapers despite
the draconian measures of the Serbian Information Law. This murder has
succeeded where authoritarian pressure had failed.
“The independent media in Serbia have been consistently attacked, both
before and since the NATO bombings began. Mr Curuvija suffered, but he
continued to address international fora and to work on projects to improve
the efficiency of Serbian newspaper houses.
“There are many others like him still working in the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia. Without them the Yugoslav population would have had no
information from a non governmental perspective. We are very concerned that
as the tension rises in the country, attacks against Serbian journalists
will increase.”
The IFJ has called on Slobodan Milosevic to ensure that a full investigation
is carried out into the murder and to guarantee the safety of Serbian
journalists liable to come under attack.
“The IFJ will continue to support these colleagues in their struggle to
inform. We hope the international community will do the same” concluded Mr
White.
The IFJ represents more than 450,000 journalists in 100 countries. It is the
largest organisation of journalists in the world and represents journalists’
groups from all republics and territories in the region of former
Yugoslavia.
