ANEM WEEKLY REPORT ON MEDIA REPRESSION IN SERBIA

SEPTEMBER 9 - SEPTEMBER 15, 2000

VIN, MREZA AND ANEM SOON ON VIDEO BEAM IN MEDIA CENTRE

BELGRADE, September 9 2000 - Belgraders will from Monday, September 11 be able to watch programmes by independent television productions, VIN, Mreza, ANEM and the Media Centre on a large video beam screen in the Shopping Mall in Republic Square, Beta reports today. Programmes will be broadcast in the Media Centre press room on the second floor of the Shopping Mall on weekdays from 6 to 8 p.m. Screening will begin with the broadcast of "Election Chronicle" produced by VIN, containing an overview of the most important daily events in the pre-election period. Other broadcasts are to include programmes entitled "Mreza", "Press Search", "Television Debate", "Serbia Among Plums", "Press Club" and others, which are otherwise regularly broadcast within the ANEM network. Admittance is free.

INDEPENDENT PAPERS STILL SUFFERING PAPER SHORTAGES

BELGRADE, September 9 2000 - Independent Belgrade dailies Glas javnosti and Blic are still suffering from a lack of paper since the only domestic newsprint manufacturer Matroz has been supplying them irregularly since July, and the Federal Trade Ministry does not allow them to import paper supplies. Editors of Glas and Blic Slavoljub Kacarevic and Veselin Simonovic confirmed to Beta today that they have been receiving only minimum supplies of Matroz paper for more than two and a half months and that even those supplies are irregular. Kacarevic said that Glas was forced to print on packaging paper since virtually all the paper was monopolised for the needs of state media houses. Editor-in-Chief of Blic also pointed out the everyday problems they were facing in obtaining necessary newsprint paper adding that Blic acquired paper "on a day to day basis".

SIMONOVIC DISMISSES ACCUSATIONS

BELGRADE, September 9 2000 - Editor-in-Chief of daily Blic Veselin Simonovic today dismissed accusations from Radio Television Serbia that the daily was biased in its coverage of the pre-election campaign because it published Serbian Democratic Opposition propaganda material in the form of a paid supplement in a Blic issue. Simonovic told Beta that Blic was open to all parties and political options, both in an editorial and marketing sense.

PROTEST AGAINST ATTACK ON TELEVISION CREW IN NOVI SAD

NOVI SAD, September 9 2000 - Television production house "urbaNS" from Novi Sad yesterday condemned the increasing number of arrests of its journalists and cameramen during reports throughout Vojvodina, as well as the recent physical assault on the television crew of this house by the citizens from the sunflower oil queue. The statement issued by the television house urbaNS said that the incident had occurred when a group of elderly people waiting in the queue for sugar, cursed Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic and opposition and independent journalists and then went on to physically attack journalist Katarina Pecovic and cameraman Dobrivoje Dejanovic who were shooting a piece for the programme entitled 'Vojvodina sat' for Montenegrin Television's satellite program. In its statement, urbaNS called on the members of the Serbian Interior Ministry not to visit the scenes solely with arrest warrants for this house's members and other journalists, but, when required, to facilitate normal working conditions for journalists and preserve peace and order. In addition to the incident with the urbaNS crew on Thursday in Novi Sad, its cameraman Igor Skendzic was arrested in Indjija and detained for half an hour. One of the urbaNS television crews has been arrested by the police five times so far.

POLICE CONFISCATE TELEVISION CACAK RELAY IN GORNJI MILANOVAC

GORNJI MILANOVAC, September 10 2000 - Around 12 police yesterday searched several houses and arrested the owner of the land housing the relay belonging to ANEM member Television Cacak, which has been broadcasting ANEM programmes for the Gornji Milanovac region for the last seven days. Editor of Television Cacak Svetlana Gojanovic stated that she believed the coverage of Serbian Democratic Opposition presidential candidate Vojislav Kostunica's visit, broadcast by this television on Friday, was one of the reasons for the confiscation of the relay.

Gojanovic said that they would do everything in their power to enable the citizens of Milanovac to watch Television Cacak again. The citizens of Milanovac are currently only able to watch State Television, Pink and municipal television controlled by the Socialist majority local authorities.

MONTENEGRIN TELEVISION RECEIVE HOAX CALL PODGORICA, September 11 2000 - Montenegrin Television was informed on Friday night that a bomb had been planted in the television building, but a detailed police search revealed it was a hoax call, Podgorica daily Vijesti reports today.

Vijesti wrote that the anonymous female voice informed the television about the bomb during the prime time news programme. Police searched the buidling in detail, without evacuating the employees. This is the second time Montenegrin Television has received such a hoax call in the last month.

RTV KRAGUJEVAC EDITOR AND JOURNALIST SUSPENDED

KRAGUJEVAC, September 12 2000 - Director of Radio Television Kragujevac Radisa Rankovic has suspended Radio Kragujevac Editor-in-Chief Aleksandar Stamenkovic, member of the Serbian Renewal Movement, and journalist Gorica Gligorijevic, member of the Democratic Party, Beta reports today. The decision to suspend both employees followed Rankovic's sudden termination on Sunday of the programme entitled Agora, by author and host Gorica Gligorijevic, who was to interview a representative of the Municipal Assembly and Serbian Democratic Opposition candidate.

ONE JOURNALIST MURDERED, ANOTHER MISSING

PRISTINA, September 12 2000 - Albanian journalist Sefki Popova, the Vucitrn correspondent for the Kosovo Albanian language daily Rilindija, was murdered at about 11.00 p.m. yesterday in Vucitrn, UN police and KFOR report today. A UN police spokesman said that Popova was shot by two men who immediately fled the scene of the crime. KFOR reported that the journalist was shot and subsequently stabbed near the Vucitrn Cultural Center. Popova, aged 50, died on the way to hospital. No arrests have been made in connection with the murder.

Serbian language department in RTV Kosovo journalist Marijan Melonasi disappeared in Pristina on Saturday, September 9 at around 2 p.m. the Regional Media Network Kontakt, for whose multiethnic radio Kontakt Melonasi worked in the past, reported today. Regional Media Network Kontakt has demanded that KFOR and UNMIK set up an urgent investigation into this case.

CONSULTATION ON DEMOCRATISATION OF MEDIA IN SERBIA

LJUBLJANA, September 12 2000 - A consultation entitled The Process of Democratisation and Independent Media in Serbia was held in Ljubljana today, Beta reports. Consultations will be attended by representatives of the trilateral commission - Italy, Slovenia and Hungary along with the participation of Croatia. The statement issued by the Slovenian Foreign Ministry said that after the exchange of opinions by the political representatives and journalists from these countries, a conclusion would be adopted on providing support for the democratisation of the media in Yugoslavia.

INDEPENDENT MEDIA WARNED NOT TO ROOT FOR OPPOSITION

BELGRADE, September 13 2000 - The Supervisory Committee for the Elections in 2000 yesterday warned Belgrade publications Blic, Glas javnosti, Danas, NIN and Vreme to bring a halt to their inappropriate coverage to the benefit of one political group and one presidential candidate.

The statement from the Committee's session said that the publications had been warned that the distribution of leaflets, pamphlets and other election material inside their editions was an inadmissible activity to the benefit of one political group and one political candidate, which crudely violated the established regulations. The statement went on to say that media were obliged to restrain themselves from comment during reports on candidates activities, from publishing statements outside basic context or placing them in an inappropriate context, belittling or favouring certain political parties and candidates, or insulting their possible voters.

The Supervisory Committee also emphasised that media were not allowed to express doubt regarding the objectivity of the election bodies or the legitimacy of the elections, Beta reports today.

JESIC FAMILY UNDER INVESTIGATION

INDJIJA, September 13 2000 - Otpor activist Vladimir Jesic, his brother Goran, president of the Civil Alliance of Serbia local branch, and their mother Ranka Jesic, Otpor Mothers activist, have all been summonsed to appear before the investigating judge of the Indjija Municipal Court for questioning, Novi Sad Otpor stated today. They have been charged with disseminating false information published in the Youth Culture Club 'Nasa Indjija' bulletin. The disputed issue was dedicated in full to the police ban on the humanitarian concert in Indjija on July 19 and the subsequent arrest of Otpor activists the same day. The profit from the banned concert was intended for twelve-year Damir Jovanovic from Indjija who is suffering from leukemia.

JOURNALIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER ARRESTED

NOVI SAD, September 13 2000 - Police in Novi Sad yesterday arrested Banja Luka weekly Reporter journalist and photographer Vanja Mekterovic and Marko Poplasen, who wanted to talk with the workers on the Varadinska duga bridge in Novi Sad regarding the course of its construction. Reporter staff told Beta that the police patrol stopped the journalist and the photographer at around 2 p.m. as they approached a group of workers on the bridge. They were taken to the police station, where they were informed that they had been arrested for attempting to make a report without first obtaining an appropriate license from the Federal Ministry of Information. According to Reporter, police read their arrested staff members the Ministry order regarding the work of foreign media from September 9 this year. Vanja Mekterovic and Marko Poplasen, who are both Yugoslav citizens, were told that they have to apply for a special permit when working for foreign media.

FINANCIAL AID FOR FILIPOVIC FAMILY

KRALJEVO, September 13 2000 - The Kraljevo Municipal Assembly Executive Committee has decided to give financial aid in the amount of 10,000 dinars to the family of imprisoned journalist Miroslav Filipovic, Beta reports today. The Committee explained that it was providing aid to the family of convicted Danas and France Press journalist because of their difficult financial situation resulting from the Nis Military Court verdict sentencing Filipovic to seven years imprisonment for espionage.

INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATION VISITS MIROSLAV FILIPOVIC

NIS, September 13 2000 - Members of the Independent Association of Serbian Journalists today visited imprisoned journalist Miroslav Filipovic to give him a lap top computer. The statement issued by the Association said that the computer was a joint present from the Association and the Belgrade Media Center. The computer was given to Filipovic in the Nis Military Hospital by the Association's president Gordana Susa and member of the organisation's executive committee Nebojsa Bugarinovic.

REPORTERS SANS FRONTIERES PROTEST

PARIS, September 13 2000 - Reporters Sans Frontieres expressed their concern yesterday regarding the confiscation of Television Cacak's relay and the termination of broadcast of private Television Rosulja from Vlasotince. The organisation sent a letter to UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the former Yugoslavia Jiri Dienstbir, requesting that he personally intervene so that these two television stations will be allowed to resume broadcasting their programming. Secretary-General of the organisation Robert Menard said that the Yugoslav authorities were continuing their policy of repression against non-government media in the period prior to the federal elections, Beta reports.

INDEX DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SACKED

BELGRADE, September 13 2000 - Director and Editor-in-Chief of Belgrade Radio Index Nenad Cekic has relieved his deputy Aleksandar Vasic of all duties, Beta reports today. A statement issued by Radio Index said that Cekic had dismissed Vasic because of an "obstruction and sabotage attempt". Beta was told that the editor of the news programme, Dusan Milovanovic had been appointed new deputy.

RADISIC: INFORMATION SIEGE OF YUGOSLAVIA CONTINUES

BELGRADE, September 14 2000 - Yugoslav Army spokesman Colonel Svetozar Radisic yesterday accused great powers of continuing to tighten the information siege around Yugoslavia, because, in his opinion, this country was the only unconquered territory in the Balkans. According to Beta, Radisic cited the example of Bosnia and Herzegovina as the currently most occupied country in the world and assessed that Yugoslavia would have been in the same position had it accepted the peace agreement on Kosovo in Rambouillet at the beginning of last year.

STATE TELEVISION: CITIZENS PROTEST AT INSULTING MILUTIN MRKONJIC

BELGRADE, September 14 2000 - Radio Television Serbia reported today that a large number of citizens have called and written in demanding the cancellation of television debates where participants in the forthcoming elections, representatives of parties and coalitions confront each other on television. State television broadcast two such television debates on September 8 and 12 between representatives of the Socialist Party-Yugoslav Left Coalition, the Serbian Democratic Opposition, the Serbian Radical Party, the Serbian Renewal Movement, and the Radical Party of the Left "Nikola Pasic". The statement issued by Radio Television Serbia said that the most frequent complaint was that people such as President of the Democratic Alternative and member of the Serbian Democratic Opposition Nebojsa Covic, and leader of the Radicals, Vojsilav Seselj, should not be allowed to insult and harass people who work day and night on the reconstruction of the country, such as Director of the Bureau for Reconstruction Milutin Mrkonjic.

VOJVODINA JOURNALISTS COLLECT AID FOR FILIPOVIC FAMILY

NOVI SAD, September 14 2000 - The Independent Association of Vojvodina Journalists stated yesterday that, along with the Independent Association of Serbian Journalists, it had launched a solidarity action to help the family of imprisoned journalist Miroslav Filipovic. In its statement, the Association informed the pubic that T-shirts with the inscription "Free Filipovic", designed by political cartoonist Predrag Koraksic Koraks, priced at 60 dinars, could be bought in the Association offices on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. All proceeds will be given to the family of Miroslav Filipovic.

MEDIA CONFERENCE ON SVETI STEFAN

BELGRADE, September 14 2000 - A conference on media regulations and legal practice in Serbia organised by the European Media Institute from Dusseldorf and the Association of Independent Electronic Media from Belgrade is to be held on the island of Sveti Stefan in Montenegro on September 16 and 17. This workshop forms part of a wider, three-year program set up by the European Media Commission and democratic institutions in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. One group will discuss the work of public television houses, as well as the issue of financing their work, relations with the founders and the political and cultural pluralism of the programme. The other group of participants will deal with the relations between freedom of expression and personal rights, focusing particular attention on reporting court cases of ethnic and political dimensions. Experts from France, Ireland, Germany and Russia will attend the conference.

IFJ WARNS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST MEDIA IN KOSOVO

BRUSSELS, September 14 2000 - The International Federation of Journalists today condemned the brutal murder of Albanian journalist Sefki Popova and warned of increased violence against the media in Kosovo. The largest world organisation of journalists also called on all sides on the Kosovo political scene to respect the freedom of the press and to bring an end to attacks on journalists. The Federation warned that the murder of Albanian daily Rilindija journalist on September 10 might lead to a series of similar incidents.

CHARGES AGAINST SOCIALISTS AND YUGOSLAV LEFT ANNOUNCED

NOVI SAD, September 14 2000 - The Independent Association of Vojvodina Journalists today warned the city branches of the Socialist Party of Serbia and the Yugoslav Left that they had violated the author rights of Association member Miljan Cubranovic in their pre-election campaign. Cubranovic's photographs were reproduced without his knowledge and exhibited unsigned in the hall of the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad at the Novi Sad convention of the left parties. The Association announced that Cubranovic intended to demand 20,000 dinars compensation from the Socialist Party of Serbia and Yugoslav Left Coalition stating that it would provide him with all necessary legal assistance.

TELEVISION VNS TO BEGIN BROADCASTING

PODGORICA, September 15 2000 - The People's Assemblies of Montenegro Council announced today that the People's Television VNS would begin its regular broadcast on Thursday at 5 p.m. The statement issued by the Council said that Television VNS would speak in the voice of people expelled from all media in Montenegro with the aim of removing the information black-out of journalistic and party single-mindedness in Montenegro. The Montenegrin Deputy Secretary of Information Abaz Beli Dzafic told Montena-fax that, after YuInfo television, this was yet another illegal television station. Dzafic said that not only had Television VNS not been registered, but it still had not submitted any request to the authorised bodies in Montenegro either for a frequency permit, or to be registered as a public media, FoNet reports.

SOCIALIST PARTY USE COMPOSITION WITHOUT PERMISSION

SMEDEREVO, 15.9.2000. - Composer from Smederevo Slobodan Boban Devecevski today demanded that the broadcast of the Serbian Socialist Party pre electoral spot " Because I love Smederevo, I'll vote for the Serbian Socialist Party" be halted since his permission for the use of his composition "Let Smederevo Shine" had not been sought. Devecevski said that the most likely reason why nobody had asked his permission to use his composition in such a way was that they knew he never would have granted it. The founders of TV Smederevo are the socialist majority Municipal Assembly.

MURDER OF SEFKI POPOVA CONDEMNED

BELGRADE, September 15 2000 - President of the World Association of Newspaper Publishers Roger Parkinson yesterday sternly condemned the murder of journalist Sefki Popova, Beta reports today. In an open letter to head of the UN Mission in Kosovo Bernard Kouchner, Parkinson demanded that UN police forces conduct an investigation into the murder and arrest the perpetrator of the crime. The letter appealed to the UN Mission head to show understanding for the professional obligations of journalists, who should be able to carry out their job without fear of violent acts and intimidation, because incidents among journalists might create a climate of fear and autocensorship.

REPORTERS SANS FRONTIERES CONCERNED OVER MELONASHI DISAPPEARANCE

PARIS, September 15 2000 - The International organisation for the protection of journalists, Reporters Sans Frontieres, expressed great concern yesterday over the disappearance of RTV Kosovo Serbian language programme journalist Marijan Melonashi. The letter from the organisation's secretary-general Robert Menard addressed to UN Mission head Bernard Kouchner said that after the murder of Albanian journalist Sefki Popova several days ago, this disappearance should be taken very seriously.