**Updates IFEX alerts of 18 and 17 May 2000** (RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, RSF vigorously denounced the interruption of broadcasts from the Pancevo independent radio-television station (located on the periphery of Belgrade). “The Serb government is pursuing its witch hunt against independent and […]
**Updates IFEX alerts of 18 and 17 May 2000**
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, RSF vigorously denounced the interruption of broadcasts from the Pancevo independent radio-television station (located on the periphery of Belgrade). “The Serb government is pursuing its witch hunt against independent and opposition media. It is depriving Belgrade of its last remaining independent radio station,” declared Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general. RSF is asking High Commissioner Robinson to intervene with the Serb authorities, in order to prevent the establishment of a total black-out of information over the whole of Serbia.
According to information obtained by RSF, the signal of the municipal radio-television station RTV Pancevo was jammed on 17 May 2000 in the middle of the day and replaced with revolutionary and popular songs. The broadcast of programmes was interrupted at 7:30 p.m. (local time) when the station was starting live retransmission of demonstrations organised by the opposition against the closure of the Belgrade municipal television station, Studio B. Police prevented the station’s technician from inspecting the transmitter. Since then, Radio Pancevo has used a back-up transmitter which only permits it to broadcast programmes in the Pancevo region.
RSF notes that Radio Pancevo was the last independent station to broadcast into Belgrade. On 17 May, the government took control of Studio B, accusing it of calling for an “overthrow of the government”. This measure also had the effect of preventing the broadcast of programmes by independent radio station B2-92, which was using a frequency of Studio B. The independent radio station Radio Index, whose offices are in the same building, also had to interrupt its programmes. Journalists from the private daily “Blic” were not able to access their offices, which are located in the same building.
