"Newspaper owner arrest – stifling of media freedoms"

The owner of Belgrade-based Glas Javnosti daily and Kurir tabloid, Radisav Rodić, was arrested last night.

Izvor: B92

Wednesday, 28.10.2009.

09:45

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The owner of Belgrade-based Glas Javnosti daily and Kurir tabloid, Radisav Rodic, was arrested last night. This was confirmed for B92 by his lawyer, Svetozar Vujacic. "Newspaper owner arrest – stifling of media freedoms" Serbian police (MUP) are currently holding him in 48-hour custody. His attorney said that his client was taken ill during Tuesday night’s police questioning and was taken to the prison hospital, where he is currently located. Rodic was arrested on a warrant from the Belgrade District Prosecution. Kurir announced today that former Glas Javnosti editor-in-chief Slavoljub Kacarevic, who did this job from 1999 until 2004, was also arrested this morning. The charges against Rodic specify that he allegedly robbed the state of EUR 2mn in unpaid taxes. Kurir's editors and journalists, however, see this as a political showdown set up by "one party and one minister". The opposition Serb Progressive Party (SNS) agreed, with high ranking party official Aleksandar Vucic saying today in Belgrade that the arrests are in fact the current government's attacks and attempts to shut down anyone expressing different views, and an attempt to introduce dictatorship. "I would never condone tax evasion, nor will anyone do that, but I have a counter question for you: did you know in 2000, or did those people from the regime in power in 2002 know about these unpaid taxes? Were they aware of it in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, all the way to the summer when they decided to decapitate the Rodic family," Vucic was quoted. "I cannot make any claim with certainty," his former party colleague Dragan Todorovic of the opposition Serb Radical Party (SRS) also commented on the case, adding, "but to go and arrest Rodic after all the articles [in his newspapers] that exposed problems and affairs related to some individuals from this regime, that in a way compellingly says that this is in fact a case of abuse of power." But the ruling Democrats (DS) and opposition Liberal-Democrats (LDP) say that Rodic was arrested because of his manner of conducting his business, when he "tried to avoid paying taxes amounting to EUR 2mn".

"Newspaper owner arrest – stifling of media freedoms"

Serbian police (MUP) are currently holding him in 48-hour custody.

His attorney said that his client was taken ill during Tuesday night’s police questioning and was taken to the prison hospital, where he is currently located.

Rodić was arrested on a warrant from the Belgrade District Prosecution.

Kurir announced today that former Glas Javnosti editor-in-chief Slavoljub Kačarević, who did this job from 1999 until 2004, was also arrested this morning.

The charges against Rodić specify that he allegedly robbed the state of EUR 2mn in unpaid taxes.

Kurir's editors and journalists, however, see this as a political showdown set up by "one party and one minister".

The opposition Serb Progressive Party (SNS) agreed, with high ranking party official Aleksandar Vučić saying today in Belgrade that the arrests are in fact the current government's attacks and attempts to shut down anyone expressing different views, and an attempt to introduce dictatorship.

"I would never condone tax evasion, nor will anyone do that, but I have a counter question for you: did you know in 2000, or did those people from the regime in power in 2002 know about these unpaid taxes? Were they aware of it in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, all the way to the summer when they decided to decapitate the Rodić family," Vučić was quoted.

"I cannot make any claim with certainty," his former party colleague Dragan Todorović of the opposition Serb Radical Party (SRS) also commented on the case, adding, "but to go and arrest Rodić after all the articles [in his newspapers] that exposed problems and affairs related to some individuals from this regime, that in a way compellingly says that this is in fact a case of abuse of power."

But the ruling Democrats (DS) and opposition Liberal-Democrats (LDP) say that Rodić was arrested because of his manner of conducting his business, when he "tried to avoid paying taxes amounting to EUR 2mn".

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