(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the United Nations (UN) special rapporteur for human rights in the former Yugoslavia, Jiri Diensbier, RSF protested the fine imposed on the independent daily “Danas” and the newspaper’s printing house. “We fear an increase in the Serbian authorities’ repression against independent media as the 24 September federal presidential and […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the United Nations (UN) special rapporteur for human rights in the former Yugoslavia, Jiri Diensbier, RSF protested the fine imposed on the independent daily “Danas” and the newspaper’s printing house. “We fear an increase in the Serbian authorities’ repression against independent media as the 24 September federal presidential and legislative elections and Serbian municipal elections draw near,” said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. The organisation urged Diensbier to “do everything possible to defend media which are threatened by Serbian authorities”. RSF notably denounced the use of the Law on Information, adopted in October 1998, to silence the independent press.
According to information collected by RSF, on 9 August 2000, Veseljko Koprivica, a journalist with the independent daily “Danas”, and Dusan Mitrovic, director of the newspaper’s printing house, were fined 70,000 Dinars (US$6,000, 6,400 Euros) each, in accordance with the Law on Information. “Danas”‘s printing house, Dan graf, was fined 200,000 Dinars (US$17,150, 18,200 Euros). Vice Prime Minister Vojislav Seselj, president of the Radical Party (SRS, ultra-nationalist party, member of the governmental coalition), filed a complaint against “Danas” following the newspaper’s 4 August publication of a press release by the Democratic Alternative (DA), an opposition party. The press release stated that “though Vojislav Seselj had promised not to run in the presidential election, he had eight million posters printed by a Belgrade-based company, at a cost of two million Marks”.
RSF recalls that fines are frequently imposed against anti-establishment media, as part of the Serbian authorities’ ongoing efforts to control information. This is the third time that Seselj has filed a complaint against “Danas”. The daily has been sentenced to pay over 2.2 million Dinars in fines (US$188,600, 200,000 Euros) for violations of the Law on Information. The law allows the imposition of heavy fines for “insulting remarks” and “false remarks” following a complaint by any individual. In the past twenty-two months, the total sum of fines imposed against independent and opposition media is over 29 million Dinars (US$2,486,560, 2.6 million Euros).
