President voices support for B92 in wake of threats

Topola Mayor Dragan Jovanovic says B92 "will suffer the same fate" as RTS; B92 will sue. President Boris Tadic today spoke to B92 CEO Veran Matic to express his solidarity and support to our journalists and editors in the wake of threats made by the high New Serbia party official. President voices support for B92 in wake of threats The president also condemned a campaign led against B92, thus reacting two times in as many days. Tadic earlier voiced his support for B92 over the canceling of the Pescanik radio program panel in Arandjelovac. B92 sees this as proof of the dramatic nature of intimidation attempts against a media outlet with international reputation and many domestic and global awards. Jovanovic told Politika daily that, “If B92 keeps this up, they will end up like TV Bastille“. He was referring to the name the opposition gave the Milosevic-controlled state television during the 1990s. On October 5, 2000, demonstrators attacked and set the RTS building on fire. Jovanovic is New Serbia leader Velimir Ilic's deputy. Ilic is also the infrastructure minister in the Kostunica cabinet. “We have experience – real experience, in practice. I’ve already shut TV Bastille down,“ said Jovanovic, who was the main protagonist when Radio B92’s Pescanik promotion was violently interrupted in Arandjelovac on Monday night. “When I arrived, the police chief and the head of the Nasi (Ours) association, Ivan Ivanovic, a theology teacher from Arandjelovac – close to New Serbia and the national parties – asked me to make an address and calm everyone down,“ said the Topola municipal president. “There were 1,000 of them. All the Radicals were with us. There were also members of the Ravna Gora Movement (a Chetnik organization), the Svetozar Miletic Movement...,“ he said, concluding that the events were a public demonstration. The Pescanik promotion was originally due to be held in Arandjelovac on November 18, but was postponed and rescheduled for December 3. This time, a group of New Serbia supporters from neighboring Topola, led by Jovanovic, and supported by members of the Serb Radical Party and Nasi forced the promotion to be called off a second time. In the meanwhile, RDP B92 has issued a statement, expressing strong protest in the wake of the threats uttered by Jovanovic. Jovanovic has made unequivocal and blunt threats against our company, which are in essence not much different from numerous anonymous threats we receive these days. B92 understands these statements seriously, and sees them as publicly declared intent to suppress constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of opinion and expression. Now, to achieve these goals, threats are made in order to cause fear and uncertainty. Such moves, according to valid legislation in the country, have a name, and it is terrorism, the statement issued in Belgrade today says. B92 will not allow threats to influence our editorial policy. The company will therefore file criminal complaints with the appropriate prosecution office suggesting start of proceedings against Jovanovic.

President voices support for B92 in wake of threats

The president also condemned a campaign led against B92, thus reacting two times in as many days.

Tadić earlier voiced his support for B92 over the canceling of the Peščanik radio program panel in Aranđelovac. B92 sees this as proof of the dramatic nature of intimidation attempts against a media outlet with international reputation and many domestic and global awards.

Jovanović told Politika daily that, “If B92 keeps this up, they will end up like TV Bastille“.

He was referring to the name the opposition gave the Milošević-controlled state television during the 1990s.

On October 5, 2000, demonstrators attacked and set the RTS building on fire.

Jovanović is New Serbia leader Velimir Ilić's deputy. Ilić is also the infrastructure minister in the Koštunica cabinet.

“We have experience – real experience, in practice. I’ve already shut TV Bastille down,“ said Jovanović, who was the main protagonist when Radio B92’s Peščanik promotion was violently interrupted in Aranđelovac on Monday night.

“When I arrived, the police chief and the head of the Naši (Ours) association, Ivan Ivanović, a theology teacher from Aranđelovac – close to New Serbia and the national parties – asked me to make an address and calm everyone down,“ said the Topola municipal president.

“There were 1,000 of them. All the Radicals were with us. There were also members of the Ravna Gora Movement (a Chetnik organization), the Svetozar Miletić Movement...,“ he said, concluding that the events were a public demonstration.

The Peščanik promotion was originally due to be held in Aranđelovac on November 18, but was postponed and rescheduled for December 3.

This time, a group of New Serbia supporters from neighboring Topola, led by Jovanović, and supported by members of the Serb Radical Party and Naši forced the promotion to be called off a second time.

In the meanwhile, RDP B92 has issued a statement, expressing strong protest in the wake of the threats uttered by Jovanović.

Jovanović has made unequivocal and blunt threats against our company, which are in essence not much different from numerous anonymous threats we receive these days.

B92 understands these statements seriously, and sees them as publicly declared intent to suppress constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of opinion and expression.

Now, to achieve these goals, threats are made in order to cause fear and uncertainty. Such moves, according to valid legislation in the country, have a name, and it is terrorism, the statement issued in Belgrade today says.

B92 will not allow threats to influence our editorial policy. The company will therefore file criminal complaints with the appropriate prosecution office suggesting start of proceedings against Jovanović.