(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a letter to Minister of Internal Affairs Dusan Mihajlovic by IPI affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO): H.E. Dusan Mihajlovic Minister of Internal Affairs Republic of Serbia Fax: + 381 11 3617-814 Vienna, 6 March 2003 Your Excellency, The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network […]
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a letter to Minister of Internal Affairs Dusan Mihajlovic by IPI affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO):
H.E. Dusan Mihajlovic
Minister of Internal Affairs
Republic of Serbia
Fax: + 381 11 3617-814
Vienna, 6 March 2003
Your Excellency,
The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is deeply concerned about death threats issued against journalists working for Novine vranjske in Vranje, Serbia.
According to information before SEEMO, on 3 March 2003, Vukasin Obradovic, editor-in-chief and director of Novine vranjske, and his colleague, Goran Antic, received death threats in a letter signed by “Srpski oslobodilacki otpor” (Serbian Liberation Resistance) and “Srpski oslobodilacki front” (Serbian Liberation Front).
At the beginning of January 2003, Novine vranjske started publishing a series of articles about five children from Vranje, who accused Serbian Orthodox Bishop Pahomije of sexual abuse and brought criminal charges against him. After the newspaper’s coverage, the Bishop verbally attacked
Obradovic, accusing the paper and its owner of cooperation with Albanian rebels. The Bishop also claimed that the Albanian rebels funded Novine vranjske’s printing-house.
An anonymous letter subsequently sent to the newspaper contained accusations similar to those of Bishop Pahomije. According to our sources, the letter defended the Bishop and called Obradovic and Antic Serbian traitors and Albanian mercenaries. It said the two journalists and their families were sentenced to death and that they would soon be liquidated. The offices of Novine vranjske would also be destroyed.
SEEMO urges Your Excellency to ensure the physical protection of Obradovic and Antic, as well as their families, and to bring to justice the author(s) of the letter. We further urge you to do everything in your power to ensure that journalists in Serbia are allowed to carry out their profession without fear of harassment and intimidation.
We thank you for your attention.
Yours sincerely,
Oliver Vujovic
SEEMO Secretary General
Recommended Action
Similar appeals can be sent to:
H.E. Dusan Mihajlovic
Minister of Internal Affairs
Republic of Serbia
Fax: + 381 11 3617 814
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