B92 Fund launches Balkan Freedom Network

BELGRADE During the OSCE Conference on Media in Southeast Europe, B92’s Editor in Chief Veran Matic presented a newly launched initiative – Balkan Freedom Network. This is B92 Fund’s project which will gather representatives of all relevant journalist associations, NGOs dealing with human rights, independent regulatory bodies, and associations of prosecutors and judges. B92 Fund launches Balkan Freedom Network The goal of this network is to join all the efforts in exercising and promoting freedom of expression and information in all the fields, to establish legal regulations and judicial practices according to the highest standards, but also to create more efficient mechanisms for protecting journalists and the media. The first initiative of the Balkan Freedom Network is establishing International Commission for Investigating the killings of journalists in Serbia, with the aim of analyzing all the oversights in the former investigations in an unbiased way, with the participation of the international experts and the support of international institutions. This initiative is active for a year now, and although the consensus was reached with the former authorities regarding the need for such commission, this was not implemented. The initiative was recently presented to the new government, followed by an immediate response: “Through the Bureau for Coordination of the work of intelligence services, chaired by Aleksandar Vucic, the Government of the Republic of Serbia had made a decision on Thursday, September 20, on establishing International Commission for investigation of the killings of the following journalists in Serbia: Dada Vujasinovic, Slavko Curuvija and Milan Pantic. Apart from the representatives of the security services of Serbia, prosecution and media representatives, prominent international investigators will take part in the work of the Commission." "The key goal of the work of this Commission will be analyzing all former investigations, ascertaining facts for its failures, and creating grounds for future investigations”. The composition of the Commission will be known in the next several weeks. OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic said regarding to the establishment of the Commission: "Resuming investigation into journalists' murders - if held in earnest - will send a strong signal that Serbia will not tolerate their impunity. I welcome the establishing of this commission and hope it will soon yield results. Families and friends of killed journalists and society as whole needs to see Justice being served. No one should fear being jailed for exposing the truth. As long as journalists are afraid for their lives and the lives of their families while doing their job, we do not live in a free society". On the occasion of November 23, International Day Against Impunity - the day that calls to action to demand justice for those who have been killed for exercising their right to freedom of expression and shed light on the issue of impunity that the Commission will deal with - Balkan Freedom Network will ask UN General Assembly to support this movement, backed by the most relevant international journalistic associations and human rights organizations, and to make a declaration asking UN member states to investigate similar killings and violence over journalists, artists, politicians and advocates of free expression who are being silenced, often with no investigation or consequences to their persecutors. The OSCE conference in Belgrade (OSCE) B92

B92 Fund launches Balkan Freedom Network

The goal of this network is to join all the efforts in exercising and promoting freedom of expression and information in all the fields, to establish legal regulations and judicial practices according to the highest standards, but also to create more efficient mechanisms for protecting journalists and the media.

The first initiative of the Balkan Freedom Network is establishing International Commission for Investigating the killings of journalists in Serbia, with the aim of analyzing all the oversights in the former investigations in an unbiased way, with the participation of the international experts and the support of international institutions. This initiative is active for a year now, and although the consensus was reached with the former authorities regarding the need for such commission, this was not implemented. The initiative was recently presented to the new government, followed by an immediate response:

“Through the Bureau for Coordination of the work of intelligence services, chaired by Aleksandar Vučić, the Government of the Republic of Serbia had made a decision on Thursday, September 20, on establishing International Commission for investigation of the killings of the following journalists in Serbia: Dada Vujašinovic, Slavko Ćuruvija and Milan Pantić. Apart from the representatives of the security services of Serbia, prosecution and media representatives, prominent international investigators will take part in the work of the Commission."

"The key goal of the work of this Commission will be analyzing all former investigations, ascertaining facts for its failures, and creating grounds for future investigations”.

The composition of the Commission will be known in the next several weeks.

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said regarding to the establishment of the Commission: "Resuming investigation into journalists' murders - if held in earnest - will send a strong signal that Serbia will not tolerate their impunity. I welcome the establishing of this commission and hope it will soon yield results. Families and friends of killed journalists and society as whole needs to see Justice being served. No one should fear being jailed for exposing the truth. As long as journalists are afraid for their lives and the lives of their families while doing their job, we do not live in a free society".

On the occasion of November 23, International Day Against Impunity - the day that calls to action to demand justice for those who have been killed for exercising their right to freedom of expression and shed light on the issue of impunity that the Commission will deal with - Balkan Freedom Network will ask UN General Assembly to support this movement, backed by the most relevant international journalistic associations and human rights organizations, and to make a declaration asking UN member states to investigate similar killings and violence over journalists, artists, politicians and advocates of free expression who are being silenced, often with no investigation or consequences to their persecutors.