11 years since NATO bombing of RTS

Today marks 11 years since Serbia's national broadcaster RTS headquarters were attacked by NATO, killing 16 employees.

Izvor: B92

Friday, 23.04.2010.

10:05

Default images

Today marks 11 years since Serbia's national broadcaster RTS headquarters were attacked by NATO, killing 16 employees. The families of the victims and their colleagues held a commemoration service last night near a memorial in Belgrade's Tasmajdan Park. 11 years since NATO bombing of RTS The Journalists Association of Serbia (UNS) and Journalists Union of Serbia will put up a banner reading, “Media are not military targets” at Aberdareva St., where the building stood, at 13:30 CET today. In the night of April 23, 1999, as NATO was conducting its campaign of areal attacks against Serbia, the RTS building was hit with two missiles. The 16 people were killed at the scene. The RTS technical department was completely destroyed. The attack happened at 02:06 CET while a news bulleting was being broadcast live. 11 years later, members of the victims’ families, mostly their parents, continue asking the question they never received an answer to: Why? “There’s still no answer, and there won’t be as long as the state, authorities, parties… or who ever is behind it says and admits the crime against 16 people,” said Zanka Stojanovic, the mother of one of the victims ,Nebojsa Stojanovic. She explains that the victims’ families are still requesting that archives of former Yugoslav Army (VJ) be opened in order to determine whether the RTS management knew that they would be targeted. Former RTS Director Dragoljub Milanovic is the only one who was put on trial and found guilty of depriving his employees of safety. Current RTS Director Aleksandar Tijanic pointed out that the bombing of RTS, which was declared a “legitimate target”, was a precedent and that not all those responsible have been punished. “All RTS workers want this criminal to be found, the one who first sentenced them to death, to have another criminal mind kill them. May they rest in peace,” Tijanic said. The fact that reporters from all around the world had been canceling, until then often used, RTS’s satellite exchange services to send reports to their stations before April 23 also shows that it was known in advance that RTS would be in danger. Although a bitter media war was fought at the time, it is hard to justify the fact that RTS headquarters were declared a “legitimate target” by NATO. People gather at the memorial last night (Tanjug)

11 years since NATO bombing of RTS

The Journalists Association of Serbia (UNS) and Journalists Union of Serbia will put up a banner reading, “Media are not military targets” at Aberdareva St., where the building stood, at 13:30 CET today.

In the night of April 23, 1999, as NATO was conducting its campaign of areal attacks against Serbia, the RTS building was hit with two missiles.

The 16 people were killed at the scene. The RTS technical department was completely destroyed. The attack happened at 02:06 CET while a news bulleting was being broadcast live.

11 years later, members of the victims’ families, mostly their parents, continue asking the question they never received an answer to: Why?

“There’s still no answer, and there won’t be as long as the state, authorities, parties… or who ever is behind it says and admits the crime against 16 people,” said Žanka Stojanović, the mother of one of the victims ,Nebojša Stojanović.

She explains that the victims’ families are still requesting that archives of former Yugoslav Army (VJ) be opened in order to determine whether the RTS management knew that they would be targeted.

Former RTS Director Dragoljub Milanović is the only one who was put on trial and found guilty of depriving his employees of safety.

Current RTS Director Aleksandar Tijanić pointed out that the bombing of RTS, which was declared a “legitimate target”, was a precedent and that not all those responsible have been punished.

“All RTS workers want this criminal to be found, the one who first sentenced them to death, to have another criminal mind kill them. May they rest in peace,” Tijanić said.

The fact that reporters from all around the world had been canceling, until then often used, RTS’s satellite exchange services to send reports to their stations before April 23 also shows that it was known in advance that RTS would be in danger.

Although a bitter media war was fought at the time, it is hard to justify the fact that RTS headquarters were declared a “legitimate target” by NATO.

Komentari 13

Pogledaj komentare

13 Komentari

Možda vas zanima

Ukrajinci saopštili: Obustavljamo 27
Svet

Ukrajinci saopštili: Obustavljamo

Ukrajinske vlasti saopštile su večeras da su obustavile svoje konzularne usluge u inostranstvu za muškarce starosti od 18 do 60 godina, pošto je ukrajinska diplomatija najavila mere za vraćanje u zemlju onih koji mogu da idu na front.

21:57

23.4.2024.

1 d

Podeli: