B92 receiving "warnings" over Port allegations

Lawyers for the Port of Belgrade have been sending warnings to B92 for the last two days, ahead of tonight's screening of Insider. The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia has condemned the Port’s actions. B92 receiving "warnings" over Port allegations Both of the letters from the Port’s legal representatives, delivered to B92 over the last two days, carry the title “Warning”. In the letters, the lawyers state that the facts outlined in Insider are disinformation, and that the city has nothing to lose as the 200 divisive hectares have never gone to auction. They claim that the city will earn EUR 900mn once the Port acquires the construction rights and pays off the land fees. The first letter states, among other things, that: “For all the aforesaid reasons, we would kindly ask you not to continue publishing the disinformation regarding the Port and not to screen the excerpts of the episode where they are set out in any manner. If you proceed to do otherwise, you may consider this letter a warning of legal action.” The next day, a second, similarly-worded letter from the Port of Belgrade’s lawyers arrived. “We request you to act in accordance with the law and publish accurate information in line with legal regulations referred to in the letter, without repeated publication of disinformation, or to eliminate from the next episode of the Official Use series the airing of any further disinformation broadcast in the program at the Port’s expense,” states the second letter. The Port’s lawyers now claim that disinformation was published in last month’s episode of Insider. However, when a media campaign was launched calling for B92 TV to be stripped of its national frequency, and when suspicions emerged that that campaign had been initiated by none other than the Port’s owners, company representatives rebuffed the allegations. At the time, a fortnight ago, they claimed that they had nothing to do with these texts and that they had no grudge against B92 or Insider, because, they said, the episode about the Port had only highlighted the problem with a system that no-one was benefiting from. However, after TV B92 announced the final episode in the Insider series, the Port’s lawyers began sending warnings to the TV station’s producers. Insider will screen only proof and facts, first without any guests, on how the state is working in the interests of individuals, and at the expense of the tax payer. The last six episodes have revealed abuse of tax payer’s money in the region of several billions of euros in a number of locations, not just in Belgrade. NUNS protest NUNS has protested at the behavior of the Port’s legal representatives towards B92 concerning the episode of Insider. “We believe that the letter from the Port of Belgrade’s lawyers to B92, titled ‘Warning Following the Publication of Untrue Information in the Insider Program and a Request for Further Screening to be Suspended', is an act of intimidation of journalists and the media, and a direct attack on the freedom of public information," reads a NUNS statement. NUNS points out that Serbia has a Freedom of Public Information Law, which clearly states that “no-one may, even indirectly, restrict the freedom of public information, especially through abuse of state or private powers, or abuse of rights.” The same law also envisages the right of reply and the right to correction, as well as judicial protection for people who believed that ”their right or interest has been infringed by untruths, incompletely or inaccurately published information…” One would expect the Port of Belgrade’s legal representatives to also be familiar with these legal norms, which is why the manner of “warning”, where B92 is asked not to “publish any more disinformation” that refers to the Port, is a cause for concern. “This kind of move places the lawyers in the position of a court and prejudges that the content of the divisive TV program is untrue. What is even more concerning is that the day before the Insider program, the Port's lawyers suggest that there is new disinformation that should not be broadcast," the statement continues. "The lawyers’ concern for their clients is understandable, but it must not restrict the freedom of journalists’ and public media to report on all issues in the public interest,” the NUNS statement concludes.

B92 receiving "warnings" over Port allegations

Both of the letters from the Port’s legal representatives, delivered to B92 over the last two days, carry the title “Warning”. In the letters, the lawyers state that the facts outlined in Insider are disinformation, and that the city has nothing to lose as the 200 divisive hectares have never gone to auction.

They claim that the city will earn EUR 900mn once the Port acquires the construction rights and pays off the land fees.

The first letter states, among other things, that:

“For all the aforesaid reasons, we would kindly ask you not to continue publishing the disinformation regarding the Port and not to screen the excerpts of the episode where they are set out in any manner. If you proceed to do otherwise, you may consider this letter a warning of legal action.”

The next day, a second, similarly-worded letter from the Port of Belgrade’s lawyers arrived.

“We request you to act in accordance with the law and publish accurate information in line with legal regulations referred to in the letter, without repeated publication of disinformation, or to eliminate from the next episode of the Official Use series the airing of any further disinformation broadcast in the program at the Port’s expense,” states the second letter.

The Port’s lawyers now claim that disinformation was published in last month’s episode of Insider.

However, when a media campaign was launched calling for B92 TV to be stripped of its national frequency, and when suspicions emerged that that campaign had been initiated by none other than the Port’s owners, company representatives rebuffed the allegations.

At the time, a fortnight ago, they claimed that they had nothing to do with these texts and that they had no grudge against B92 or Insider, because, they said, the episode about the Port had only highlighted the problem with a system that no-one was benefiting from.

However, after TV B92 announced the final episode in the Insider series, the Port’s lawyers began sending warnings to the TV station’s producers.

Insider will screen only proof and facts, first without any guests, on how the state is working in the interests of individuals, and at the expense of the tax payer.

The last six episodes have revealed abuse of tax payer’s money in the region of several billions of euros in a number of locations, not just in Belgrade.

NUNS protest

NUNS has protested at the behavior of the Port’s legal representatives towards B92 concerning the episode of Insider.

“We believe that the letter from the Port of Belgrade’s lawyers to B92, titled ‘Warning Following the Publication of Untrue Information in the Insider Program and a Request for Further Screening to be Suspended', is an act of intimidation of journalists and the media, and a direct attack on the freedom of public information," reads a NUNS statement.

NUNS points out that Serbia has a Freedom of Public Information Law, which clearly states that “no-one may, even indirectly, restrict the freedom of public information, especially through abuse of state or private powers, or abuse of rights.”

The same law also envisages the right of reply and the right to correction, as well as judicial protection for people who believed that ”their right or interest has been infringed by untruths, incompletely or inaccurately published information…”

One would expect the Port of Belgrade’s legal representatives to also be familiar with these legal norms, which is why the manner of “warning”, where B92 is asked not to “publish any more disinformation” that refers to the Port, is a cause for concern.

“This kind of move places the lawyers in the position of a court and prejudges that the content of the divisive TV program is untrue. What is even more concerning is that the day before the Insider program, the Port's lawyers suggest that there is new disinformation that should not be broadcast," the statement continues.

"The lawyers’ concern for their clients is understandable, but it must not restrict the freedom of journalists’ and public media to report on all issues in the public interest,” the NUNS statement concludes.