12. 07. 2002

JOURNALISTS INTERROGATED

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) strongly protests the police interrogation of journalists and pressure exerted on them to reveal their sources.

Vladimir Radomirovic, the editor of Belgrade weekly Reporter, was summoned to a police interrogation this morning. Radomirovic responded but refused to disclose to police the author and sources behind a text alleging the Serbian government's communications bureau once housed surveillance equipment.

"The reason for the interrogation was the text, "Surveillance centre in government building," published in the magazine on July 2 and signed 'Reporter team,'" Radomirovic told Radio B92.

District Public Prosecutor Rade Terzic confirmed for Beta news agency he had asked police to check Reporter's claims and its sources. "We asked that those sources be checked - how do they know what's being held in the building and whether that's true?" said Terzic.

Radio Free Europe journalist Natasa Odalovic was interrogated yesterday by police about an article she wrote based on claims made by Aleksandar Tijanic, the Yugoslav president's media advisor, against the Serbian prime minister. In the text, headlined "Cage looking for a bird," Odalovic said Tijanic had accused her of turning a blind eye to "contract killings" ordered by Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic through his secretary Beba Popovic. The police read to Odalovic an excerpt from the text in which she says, "there will be more contract killings and Tijanic will keep quiet about them." Odalovic said they asked her how she knew this: "I told them that [Interior Minister] Mihajlovic said so himself at a press conference."

ANEM concludes that the position of journalists in this country is, unfortunately, getting worse. This has been caused by, among things, the stalling of a new legal framework for journalists and media in this country. ANEM points out that the announced Public Information Act has yet to be adopted. The draft includes provisions that regulate the issue of protection of journalist sources. The Availability of Information Act has also not been passed.

ANEM emphasises that the interrogation of journalists and demands that they reveal their sources directly contravene the practice of democratic societies. What is more concerning is that it remains unclear what criminal act was committed to prompt prosecutors to order the police to question journalists. They appear to have been interrogated about exactly the kind of information that is banded about everyday by politicians and state officials. Hence, ANEM calls on the relevant prosecutors to stop the practice of issuing orders for the interrogation of journalists and repeats its call for the urgent adoption of media legislation in Serbia.

Veran Matic
ANEM Chairman