07. 05. 2005

ARRESTS IN TV TUTIN

TUTIN, May 7, 2005 – Media reported that TV Tutin journalist Albin Gegic and cameraman Tufik Sadovic were arrested and sentenced to 30 days prison by Tutin Municipal Court, on May 6, 2005. Gegic and Sadovic had been accused of obstructing the broadcast according to the Serbian Criminal Code, article 188. Tutin Mayor, Semsudin Kucevic accused Municipal court and the police for acting in interest of political parties. The arrest of the two journalists was the motive for calling the press conference, where the president of the Tutin Municipal Council Semsudin Kucevic accused the Municipal Court and town’s police of becoming “an extended hand of certain political parties in this region”. The same day, the Journalists’ Association of Sandzak called upon the Serbian President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, speaker of the Serbian Parliament Predrag Markovic, Serbian Justice Minister Zoran Stojkovic and president of the Supreme Court Vida Petrovic-Skero to free arrested Gegic and Sadovic. As a reaction to arrests of two workers of the TV Tutin, the Sandzak Journalists’ Association has organized protest rallies last night. The protesters were blowing whistles and carrying posters with the message to the state authorities, justice and police departments that said “In the name of the people, shame on you”. In the meantime people were signing up the petition, demanding the release of Gegic and Sadovic, and urgent relief of the chief of Tutin Police Harun Kosuta, municipal prosecutor Hazbo Alibasic and Judge Ramo Softic. After the changes in management of RTV Novi Pazar, only programs of RTS, BK TV and TV Jedinstvo from Novi Pazar could be seen in Tutin. At the end of March, the program of the regional television could be seen for only few hours, when the broadcast was interrupted by Gegic and Sadovic who took down the parts of the transmitter Gradina, said the Vice President of the Sandzak Democratic Party Mujo Mukovic, speaking at the press conference. After that, the all-day program of TV Tutin started, and was broadcast for ten days. “Gegic and Sadovic took down some parts of the transmitter for equipment servicing, on April 28. The police interrupted the two and took them into custody. We have the proof that the owner of the equipment is the Information Center of Tutin Municipality; however, public prosecutor had put the equipment at the disposal of RTV Novi Pazar. TV Tutin has ceased the program broadcasting after the equipment, 20 thousand euros worth, was stolen from the transmitter Kajetina in the night between April 24 and 25”, said the Chairman of the Information Center Tutin Managing Board, Amir Numanovic.