O Srbiji i Crnoj Gori

02.11.2005.

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO

27 October 2005

Offices of Vranje-based weekly ransacked

SOURCE: Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

(ANEM/IFEX) - The following is an ANEM statement followed by a 25 October 2005 letter by "Vranjske" director and editor-in-chief Vukasin Obradovic:

ANEM wishes to draw your attention to recent events in the Vranje
municipality, namely the break-in at the offices of local weekly "Vranjske", when nothing was stolen but the offices were thoroughly ransacked. Papers were removed from the drawers and all business and professional documentation had been examined. This is the third break-in in the last six years .

ANEM strongly protests against the continuous attacks on the independent media in Vranje. Only a month ago, "Vranjske" newspaper and OK Radio, the only independent media in the region, were attacked by the local self-government, and their owners and editors were openly threatened too.

Management of the weekly believes that this might have been an attempt to send a message to the editors and represents the most severe form of pressure on their journalists.


Vranje, October 25, 2005

STATEMENT

The offices of the local weekly "Vranjske" were broken into on October 22, 2005. The police investigation determined that none of the equipment was
missing, but that everything in the office was ransacked. Papers were removed from the drawers and all business and professional documentation had been examined. The police did not find any marks or prints left by the burglars.

This is the third break-in in the last six years. However, unlike the first two times, when the offices were ravaged and equipment stolen, this time, the perpetrators evidently had different intentions, which we can only guess.

Still, it is indicative that the nocturnal visitors of the weekly had pretty clear aspirations. Regardless of whether the burglars were looking for some "secret" documents or just wanted to send a message to the editors, this obviously represents the most severe form of pressure on our journalists.

Our doubt is supported by the fact that the break-in was done
professionally, since the offices of the weekly Vranjske are located in the very heart of the city, only one hundred meters away from the local police station, and it requires a lot of time to thoroughly search the offices.

Let me remind you that for the last few months, the weekly "Vranjske" was dealing with issues such as the "Pahomija affair", the burning of bodies in Mackatica, the killing of civilians in Kosovo and Serbian-Albanian smuggling. We can only speculate as to whether some of these articles have drawn someone's attention or provoked this break-in. Whatever the case may be, the fact is that after this incident, the weekly "Vranjske" operates in poor conditions and journalists fear for their safety.

Because of all this, the weekly "Vranjske" urges the appropriate state authorities to take all necessary measures to clear up all doubts and prevent motives for possible misinterpretations of this incident, which connect certain state or military services with this burglary.

Sincerely,

Vukasin Obradovic, director and editor-in-chief

For further information, contact Chairperson Slobodan Stojsic or Sibina Golubovic at ANEM, 3, Marsala Birjuzova, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and
Montenegro, tel: +381 11 182 534, +381 11 182 496, +381 11 183 652, e-mail:
anem@anem.org.yu, sibina.golubovic@anem.org.yu, Internet:
http://www.anem.org.yu

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of ANEM.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit ANEM.
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