His Excellency Slobodan Milosevic
President of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia
Belgrade
Former Republic of Yugoslavia

Vienna, 17 May 2000

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors and journalists, deplores the Serbian government’s seizure of the Belgrade municipal broadcaster, Studio B and the closing down of the independent radio station, Radio B2-92.

In a two pronged assault this morning the Serbian government seized control of the prominent broadcaster Studio B, shutting off its news. The government also pulled the plug on the programming of Radio B2-92 in Belgrade, whose broadcasts are carried on Studio B’s third channel.

A press statement signed by the Serbian vice-premier, Mr. Vojislav Seselj, leader of the Serbian Radical Party, and Mr. Milovan Bojic, a prominent member of JUL, stated that the Republic of Serbia had taken control of Studio B because the station had “repeatedly called for the overthrow of the Serbian government.

In reply to this statement, the director and editor-in-chief of Studio B, Mr. Dragan Kojadinovic, described the act as “completely illegal; a takeover of the Belgrade Municipal broadcaster which shows that the government is practically introducing a state of emergency in the country”.

IPI regards the seizure of Studio B and the closing down of Radio B2-92 as only the latest in a long series of attempts by the Serbian government to silence the critical voice of the country’s independent and opposition media. The actions are a gross violation of everyone’s right to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”, as guaranteed by Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We, therefore, call on the Serbian government to restore the independence of Studio B and allow Radio B2-92 to continue with its programming sessions. Furthermore, we urge the Serbian government to abandon its unceasing harassment of the independent media and allow objective and informed reporting in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia.

We thank you for your attention.

Johann P. Fritz.
Director.