(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ letter to EUTELSAT Director General Juliano Berretta seeking clarification regarding the 26 May 1999 suspension of Radio Television Serbia (RTS) broadcasts: **Updates IFEX alerts of 28 May and 27 May 1999** Juliano Berretta Director General EUTELSAT Paris Brussels, 1 June 1999 Dear Mr Berretta The International Federation of […]
(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ letter to EUTELSAT Director General
Juliano Berretta seeking clarification regarding the 26 May 1999 suspension
of Radio Television Serbia (RTS) broadcasts:
**Updates IFEX alerts of 28 May and 27 May 1999**
Juliano Berretta
Director General
EUTELSAT
Paris
Brussels, 1 June 1999
Dear Mr Berretta
The International Federation of Journalists, the world’s largest
journalists’ organisation representing over 450,000 journalists worldwide is
concerned by the suspension of Radio Television Serbia (RTS) broadcasts by
EUTELSAT as of 6pm GMT on 26 May.
We would appreciate receiving information from EUTELSAT to clarify the
motivation and procedures behind this suspension.
In particular, we are interested in answers to the following questions:
What was the legal basis for the suspension?
Was a complaint made against RTS? On what grounds and by whom?
Was RTS given an opportunity and time to answer complaints against it before
suspension?
How did EUTELSAT verify any allegations or complaints made against RTS?
Why did EUTELSAT choose to suspend RTS now, and not during the war in Bosnia
when journalists’ organisations and freedom of expression groups were
vociferous about racial hatred and propaganda which was being broadcast by
the station?
What options are available to RTS to enable it to resume broadcasting?
If you are not in a position to answer these questions, we would be grateful
if you could give us the name and contact details of the person qualified to
deal with our queries.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
AIDAN WHITE
General Secretary
