14. 07. 2006

JOURNALIST BANNED

RUMA, July 14, 2006 (B92)- Journalists in Serbia are facing restrictions once again. After the town of Vršac, where the municipal government placed Panovizija TV on a black list, the consequence of which was that the security would not let them through into the municipal building, this time a similar ban was placed on the Novi Sad daily Dnevnik reporter Jelena Antić. Jelena Antić says she received an official invitation to the press conference held at the town hall by the Minister for Local Governance, Zoran Lončar. However, she was met by security, who asked her to leave the building, explaining this was on the mayor’s orders. ‘There were many colleagues, from national and local media, and I was the only one denied entrance. While I walked out of the town hall, mayor Srđan Nikolić came by, so I demanded an explanation. He said it had nothing to do with him and that I should ask the security. The mister was very kind, but also unpleasantly surprised when I explained what had happened. After the press conference which I was banned from, the minister came outside to talk to me’, Jelena Antić said. The Journalists association of Serbia reacted, as well as the Democratic Party (DS) municipal council in Ruma, condemning the ban on Jeleni Antić. ‘Obviously, the ruling coalition, made up of the Serbian Radial Party (SRS), the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) objects to honest reporting and any criticism of their governance. They seem to be particularly sensitive to issues related to spending budget funds without outside control, something Jelena Antić reported about from a DS press conference in Ruma’, the statement reads. A little over a week ago, TV Panovizija, Beta News agency and Dnevnik daily journalists were banned from entering the municipal government building in the town of Vršac.