03. 08. 2012

President pardons journalist sent to jail over comment

Belgrade, August 3, 2012 (B92) - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić has decided to pardon journalists Laslo Šaš (Laszlo Szasz), and he will be released from prison on Friday afternoon.

This was announced by the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS).

The association welcomed the president's decision and thanked everyone who campaigned to free Šaš.

The association also believes that the outcome of the case means that "freedom of information scored a victory over faulty interpretations of laws and European standards in our judiciary".

Šaš was the first journalist to be tried and sent to jail since the new Criminal Code took effect in Serbia. He filed his appeal to be pardoned to the president two days ago.

The 69-year-old was sent to jail for 150 days because he was unable to pay a money fine, after he was found guilty of insulting Hungarian national LaszloToroczkai, leader of the extremist right-wing Hungarian movement "64 Counties".

The journalist's opinion was expressed in the form of a reader's comment published by the Novi Sad-based Hungarian language newspaper Magyar Szo.

Šaš was found guilty by a court in the northern town of Subotica, and this ruling was later confirmed by a court in Novi Sad.