05. 06. 2003

ANEM reminds courts of banning procedure

BELGRADE, 5 June, 2003 -- In reaction to the recent banning of an edition of weekly publication Svedok, the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) has demanded that the state’s legal bodies strictly observe the regulations of the Public Information Act. The Act prescribes that reasons must be stipulated and procedures followed before publications may be banned. Whilst not wanting to dispute the constitutional and legal basis for the banning of information, ANEM notes that in this and any other case of the prosecution proposing a ban, it is essential to rise above arbitrary and political evaluations and firmly establish reasons for the ban in law. In addition, banning should be considered a last resort when there is no other way of avoiding the negative consequences of publishing information. Only in this way can the process be above suspicion and avoid illegally limiting freedom of speech and access to information.