H.E. Slobodan Milosevic
President of Yugoslavia
Belgrade
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Vienna, 14 October 1998

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI) strongly condemns the closing down of two independent Belgrade newspapers Danas and Dnevni Telegraf, by the Serbian authorities.

We are informed that the Serbian government closed down Danas late Tuesday, 13 October and Dnevni Telegraf early Wednesday, 14 October 1998, after accusing the two papers of “spreading fear and panic” during the crisis with NATO. We understand that on Monday, 12 October, Serbian Information Minister Aleksander Vucic had sent letters to Danas, Dnevni Telegraf, and Nasa Borba, accusing the three dailies of reprinting articles from the international press and threatening to shut them down in the event of a repetition of the offence.

Danas and Dnevni Telegraf were told that the ban would last as long as the Government of Serbia’s Decree on Special Measures in Circumstances of NATO’s Threats with Military Attacks Against Our Country was in force. The decree not only prohibits publishing or broadcasting foreign news reports deemed hostile to Yugoslavia, but also introduces sanctions – including closure and seizure of equipment – against local media that act against the interests of the State.

IPI, the global network of editors and media executives, views the closing of Danas and Dnevni Telegraf as the latest in a series of attempts by the authorities to silence the critical voice of the independent media in Serbia and a clear violation of Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which holds all signatories to its principles of free expression. We therefore urge Your Excellency to life the government decree – now that you have made commitments to the international community to end the Kosovo crisis – and to allow Serbia’s independent media to operate without further harassment.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director