02. 06. 2014

JANKOVIĆ: NOT UP TO VUČIĆ TO ASSESS IF THERE IS CENSORSHIP

02. 06. 2014 (Beta, RTV) - Ombudsman Saša Janković said today that Serbia is in an "extraordinary situation regarding freedom of expression" because of a series of events that jointly suggest that an effort has been made to suppress criticism.

"I think there is an extraordinary situation regarding freedom of expression. A series of events took place that individually do not have to be particularly dangerous, but jointly demonstrate that this is not someone's poor understanding of the situation, but a more or less organized effort to suppress criticism," said Janković for TV B92.

He said that the prime minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić is not responsible for evaluating whether there is censorship, but that it is within competences of the Ombudsman.

"It is not up to the Prime Minister to evaluate whether there is censorship, but it is the competence of the Ombudsman. I can hear his opinion and acknowledge it, but according to the Constitution I assess whether there is censorship. Everyone has their own responsibility, and everyone bears the consequences for it," said Janković.

According to him, during the emergency situation "an info vacuum was created" in which citizens got involved in good faith.

"Instead of the state filling that vacuum, many got involved in it in good faith, I do not think anybody was malicious. When all was finished with no panic, and when we already had some failures, the duty of the state is to say what it needs to do in the future, and only then to address the citizens," said the Ombudsman.

Asked why the Administrative Committee of the Assembly of Serbia did not give consent for the engagement of 19 investigators of the Ombudsman, Janković said that this is not happening for the first time, and pointed out that it is a big blow for his office.

"At this point the Administrative Committee has not yet given consent, and I am in a situation that the international community is helping so that the capacity is not diminished further. I know that the National Assembly approved Ombudsman's budget at the beginning of the year, and the situation with the Administrative Committee took place at a time when I was obliged to warn that freedom of expression and media in Serbia are threatened," he said.

Janković said that his salary is the same as the salary of the President of the Constitutional Court, which is standard in all countries of the world.