19. 12. 2005

TV KURSUMLIJA EDITOR SENTENCED

PROKUPLJE, December 19, 2005 – Municipal Court in Prokuplje sentenced TV Kursumlija editor Slavko Savic to four months prison sentence (one year conditional sentence), for libel charges pressed by the local MP of the ruling coalition Slavko Ilic. Slavko Ilic had pressed libel charges over the broadcast of insulting SMS messages on TV Kursumlija after three complaints of the local authorities against TV Kursumlija. According to Ilic, this television station often criticized certain members of the local parliament. Savic however stressed that the charges were not politically motivated, claiming he was not able to say the messages were directed to Ilic, since they stated only the nickname “Bole”. The possible motive for the SMS was the lawsuit against Ilic for alleged shoplifting of a bottle of alcohol. Ilic was taken to the police station for interrogation and then prosecuted in the Kursumlija Municipal Court.