B92 Journalist and Cameraman Attacked

Belgrade, March 15, 2006 – Radio-television B92 strongly protests over the attack of Slobodan Milosevic's followers on B92 TV crew while covering the gathering in front of the St Sava Hospital in Belgrade, where the body of the former president of Serbia and Yugoslavia was kept in the mortuary.

A group of Slobodan Milosevic's followers physically attacked B92 journalist Petar Gajic and B92 cameraman Spasa Dakic, addressing them with condemning and cursing words, while they tried to record the gathering in front of the hospital. Dakic was so heavily hit that he lost his glasses, while Gajic was hit in the commotion and one icicle struck him in the leg while reporting on this event in front of the camera. The whole course of the attack was recorded, and the policemen intervened and divided the attackers from TV crew, without identifying them or taking them to the police station.

From the moment when B92 first informed the world of Slobodan Milosevic's death, our company is faced with threats. B92 building is threatened with bomb devices, while numerous death threats were directed to the management of our company. Due to these circumstances, B92 decided to strengthen security measures of the building and raise the level of protection of its most prominent representatives. The police is informed about these threats and since Saturday, their members guard the building in the most professional way.

In light of today's attack, B92 will file motion for criminal charges to the competent public prosecution office in accordance with the valid articles of the present legal act on criminal charges, for the criminal offence stated in the Article 149 of the Criminal Act, which pertains to hindering printing and distribution of print materials and broadcasting programme.

We believe in the freedom of expression which includes freedom of gathering news, protected under Serbian law through the highest legal acts. We demand from the state bodies to secure rule of law and order on the streets of Serbia, allowing journalists to work freely and respecting their right to gather and broadcast information on every issue the public is entitled to be informed of. We also call on all journalistic and media associations and democratic community, to condemn any attack on journalists, as well as any intention of endengering freedom of speech.