(RSF/IFEX) – On 20 March 2003, RSF expressed its concern about the restrictions on and closures of media outlets under the state of emergency declared in Serbia following the 12 March assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. “The state of emergency must not deprive the people of Serbia and Montenegro of their basic right to […]
(RSF/IFEX) – On 20 March 2003, RSF expressed its concern about the restrictions on and closures of media outlets under the state of emergency declared in Serbia following the 12 March assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.
“The state of emergency must not deprive the people of Serbia and Montenegro of their basic right to be informed, or the media of their right to freely report on the crisis,” RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard said in a letter to Djinjic’s successor, Zoran Zivkovic. “We ask you to lift the state of emergency as quickly as possible and until then do everything in your power to ensure the media can do its job in normal conditions.”
A 17 March decree restricting media reporting about the reasons for the state of emergency and its implementation, signed by Acting Serbian President Natasa Micic, banned publication of news about Djindjic’s murder that is not confirmed by the government. It provides for fines of up to 500,000 dinars (approx. US$8,700; 8,250 euros) and the suspension of the concerned media. On 12 March, Deputy Prime Minister Zarko Korac advised the editors of several Belgrade media outlets on how they should operate under the state of emergency.
On 18 March, publication and distribution of the Belgrade daily “Nacional” was banned for the duration of the state of emergency after the paper published articles criticising the state of emergency and the measures taken under it. The paper’s publishers, NIP Info Orfej, were also fined 500,000 dinars.
That same day, and for the same reasons, the Culture and Information Ministry suspended distribution of the Podgorica (Montenegro) daily “Dan”. The Stampa Komerc Distributing Company was fined 200,000 dinars (approx. US$3,500; 3,300 euros). The ministry also warned the Belgrade daily “Vecernje Novosti” after it published an article on 18 March entitled, “Small Village, Big Rat”, in reference to the arrest of a suspect in the killing of the prime minister.
The Belgrade weekly “Identitet” was banned on 17 March and fined 500,000 dinars for commenting on the reasons behind the state of emergency. Publisher Srdjan Mijailovic is suspected of involvement in the murder, along with Milorad Lukovic Legija, who bankrolls the paper.
The RTV Mars television station, which operates from the central Serbian town of Valjevo, was suspended after it broadcast music during Djindjic’s funeral, and commented on the prime minister and the government. The station and its general manager were fined 500,000 and 100,000 dinars (approx. US$1,730; 1,650 euros), respectively.
