23. 03. 2005

NEW LAWSUITS AGAINST LOCAL MEDIA

VRANJE, March 23, 2005 – Local council of the Socialist Party of Serbia in Vranje has filed criminal charges against certain independent media, accusing them of libel, dispersing false information and insult. Local council of the Socialist Party of Serbia in Vranje has filed legal complaints against OK Radio for broadcasting unofficial information, saying that this political party had printed 2.500 illegal ballot papers during the previous local elections. The position of the Socialist Party of Serbia on this matter was also confirmed by the representative of this political party, Vlastimir Ristic: “The charges for libel and insult are valid because they have lost, according to their calculations, 30 percent of votes on local elections.” Editor-in-chief of OK Radio Goran Vladkovic said that the radio feature in question was done in accordance with the rules of the profession. According to him, the information was confirmed by two sources, while the Municipal Electoral Commission had denied it. “It is a classic example of an attempt to discipline the media and exert pressure on independent media, that is, OK Radio as the only independent electronic media in this region”, said Vladkovic. President of the Vranje Municipal Council Miroljub Stojcic, president of the local committee of the Socialist Party of Serbia in Vranje and councilor of SPS Stojan Dimcic have filed a legal complaint against the editor of “Novine Vranjske” for publishing the photomontages in this newspaper. Editor-in-chief of the papers Vukasin Obradovic pointed to the fact that legal charges were never filed for more serious articles. “According to our sources, which are also authentic, Stojcic is still illegally occupying the municipal apartment, despite the effective motion for vacating the premises. If I would have worried about my reputation, if I were him, I would sue somebody for that”, said Obradovic. The prosecutor’s deputy said that the charges were also brought by the persons that could be recognised on the photomontages, thus totaling in eight legal complaints against “Vranjske”.