IM: National Library director supports terror

Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic announced on Thursday that he would request the sacking of Serbian National Library Director Sreten Ugricic. The minister said this was due to the fact that Ugricic voiced his support for Montenegrin parliament speaker’s adviser Andrej Nikolaidis, who wrote an article lamenting the fact that the explosives found in Banja Luka’s Borik sports hall earlier this month were not used. IM: National Library director supports terror The ceremony in Borik was attended by Dacic, President Boris Tadic, other top Serbian and RS officials and hundreds of other guests. Ugricic denied accusations that in his backing of Nikolaidis, he supported terrorism. Nikolaidis wrote that it would have been a “civilizational step forward if the explosives found in the sports hall during the celebration of Republic of Srpska (RS) 20th anniversary had been activated.“ Ugricic and a number of Serbian writers, including Borka Pavicevic, Nenad Prokic, Vladimir Arsenijevic and Filip David, all voiced their support for Nikolaidis. The controversial article has strained the relations between Serbia and Montenegro and caused a sort of a diplomatic incident bearing in mind that Belgrade sent a protest note to Podgorica. “Regarding the unrest in the public caused by publishing of false allegations about my support to terrorism statements, I am deeply disgusted by the wantonness of media that attributed positions to me that I could never agree with and I reject such insinuations with loathing. Anyone reasonable can, based on an unbelievable and scandalous headline in the daily Press, conclude that it is a vulgar, malicious abuse aimed at increasing circulation. We are witnesses of a regular distortion of truth and manipulation in tabloid journalism but I am convinced that a large part of the public will not succumb to the manipulation and that they believe that the reports in daily Press which are accusing me are a notorious lie and fabrication. I have informed the minister in charge, Predrag Markovic, about the whole case,” Ugricic said in a statement earlier today. The article published in the Press tabloid ran under the headline, "National Library director supports assassination of Tadic". But later in the day, as the scandal grew to the point that it was discussed during the Thursday session of the Serbian government, Ugricic sent another statement to the media. In it, he said he "did not agree with many stances given in Andrej Nikolaidis' contentious article", and that he signed the petition in support of the Montenegrin parliament speaker's adviser "to support freedom of thought and expression". "I have been framed with holding positions that are exactly opposite to everything I stand for. Everyone who knows can corroborate that I abhor both terrorism and violence. I recklessly signed an initiative by fellow writers in support of freedom of expression," said Ugricic in his new statement. "During the debate at the Writers' Forum I was the only one to most directly criticize some stances from that text (written by Nikolaidis), and this position is linked to incitement to terrorism, and the position where Montenegro is described as a pro-western, anti-war, and so on, state, when in fact it is a state run by Milo Djukanovic, who was a partner of Slobodan Milosevic in all the events in Bosnia and Croati during the 1990's," he further stated. He stressed that as National Library director, he "supported the government of Serbia and top state officials and was doing his best to together with his team work on promoting Serb culture in the country and abroad", and added that "as a democrat I will always stand for the right of everyone to state their opinion, even if I disagree with it. I deeply disagree with such a position, a call to terrorism." Asked whether he feared that his involvement in the Writers' Forum petition will now have its consequences, Ugrincic responded by saying that "the public scene is obviously hysterical and all consequences are possible". "I am convinced that most people in the government, from the Ministry of Culture, who know me, know what I have done during all these years and about my values," concluded Ugricic, and also, according to reports "offered his resignation". On Thursday, the government announced that the issue was discussed during its session, but that a decision will be made after Minister of Culture Predrag Markovic has submitted his report on the subject. Previously, Ivica Dacic made a strongly critical statement of Ugrincic, and said he would ask for his resignation: “He can welcome it (Nikolaidis’ statements), but not from the library - he can do it from the prison. Such statements have everything to do with insolence and I cannot understand how someone can regret that someone else was not killed. That means supporting terrorism." Dacic added that he "could not believe that public institutions' directors could speak like that”, as well as "such political connotation". According to the minister, "anyone who expressed support to a terrorist act in such a manner in the U.S. would be placed under arres within two minutes”. The Serbian Writers' Forum said in a release that Belgrade media’s criticism of Nikolaidis was "proof that the Serbian political elite has not renounced its hegemonic intentions toward Montenegro, which is something that the Writers Forum decisively opposes”. The Writers Forum has requested that “fatwa and lynch” be stopped by "allowing the public to see the entire Nikolaidis’ controversial text so all the interested parties could form a clear position about what the author wrote in the article". In his latest comment, Nikolaidis compared Serbia to Iran. Addressing the Borik case - the suspect in which is being held in Bosnia on terrorism charges - the Serbian interior minister stressed that it was in the RS Interior Ministry and Bosnia-Herzegovina Prosecution’s jurisdiction. Dacic added that he had spoken to RS Interior Minister Stanislav Cadjo, that the investigation was underway and that he had no new information about the case. “What is certain is that the weapons were seized, it has been determined who brought them in but a possible connection with some individuals and groups is being investigated now,” Dacic explained. The minister repeated that threats were a part of his every day work and "in job descriptions for top state officials", adding that he was "not afraid": “If I were, I would not be here today." Sreten Ugricic (file) B92 Beta Tanjug

IM: National Library director supports terror

The ceremony in Borik was attended by Dačić, President Boris Tadić, other top Serbian and RS officials and hundreds of other guests.

Ugričić denied accusations that in his backing of Nikolaidis, he supported terrorism.

Nikolaidis wrote that it would have been a “civilizational step forward if the explosives found in the sports hall during the celebration of Republic of Srpska (RS) 20th anniversary had been activated.“

Ugričić and a number of Serbian writers, including Borka Pavićević, Nenad Prokić, Vladimir Arsenijević and Filip David, all voiced their support for Nikolaidis. The controversial article has strained the relations between Serbia and Montenegro and caused a sort of a diplomatic incident bearing in mind that Belgrade sent a protest note to Podgorica.

“Regarding the unrest in the public caused by publishing of false allegations about my support to terrorism statements, I am deeply disgusted by the wantonness of media that attributed positions to me that I could never agree with and I reject such insinuations with loathing. Anyone reasonable can, based on an unbelievable and scandalous headline in the daily Press, conclude that it is a vulgar, malicious abuse aimed at increasing circulation. We are witnesses of a regular distortion of truth and manipulation in tabloid journalism but I am convinced that a large part of the public will not succumb to the manipulation and that they believe that the reports in daily Press which are accusing me are a notorious lie and fabrication. I have informed the minister in charge, Predrag Marković, about the whole case,” Ugričić said in a statement earlier today.

The article published in the Press tabloid ran under the headline, "National Library director supports assassination of Tadić".

But later in the day, as the scandal grew to the point that it was discussed during the Thursday session of the Serbian government, Ugričić sent another statement to the media.

In it, he said he "did not agree with many stances given in Andrej Nikolaidis' contentious article", and that he signed the petition in support of the Montenegrin parliament speaker's adviser "to support freedom of thought and expression".

"I have been framed with holding positions that are exactly opposite to everything I stand for. Everyone who knows can corroborate that I abhor both terrorism and violence. I recklessly signed an initiative by fellow writers in support of freedom of expression," said Ugričić in his new statement.

"During the debate at the Writers' Forum I was the only one to most directly criticize some stances from that text (written by Nikolaidis), and this position is linked to incitement to terrorism, and the position where Montenegro is described as a pro-western, anti-war, and so on, state, when in fact it is a state run by Milo Đukanović, who was a partner of Slobodan Milošević in all the events in Bosnia and Croati during the 1990's," he further stated.

He stressed that as National Library director, he "supported the government of Serbia and top state officials and was doing his best to together with his team work on promoting Serb culture in the country and abroad", and added that "as a democrat I will always stand for the right of everyone to state their opinion, even if I disagree with it. I deeply disagree with such a position, a call to terrorism."

Asked whether he feared that his involvement in the Writers' Forum petition will now have its consequences, Ugrinčić responded by saying that "the public scene is obviously hysterical and all consequences are possible".

"I am convinced that most people in the government, from the Ministry of Culture, who know me, know what I have done during all these years and about my values," concluded Ugričić, and also, according to reports "offered his resignation".

On Thursday, the government announced that the issue was discussed during its session, but that a decision will be made after Minister of Culture Predrag Marković has submitted his report on the subject.

Previously, Ivica Dačić made a strongly critical statement of Ugrinčić, and said he would ask for his resignation:

“He can welcome it (Nikolaidis’ statements), but not from the library - he can do it from the prison. Such statements have everything to do with insolence and I cannot understand how someone can regret that someone else was not killed. That means supporting terrorism."

Dačić added that he "could not believe that public institutions' directors could speak like that”, as well as "such political connotation". According to the minister, "anyone who expressed support to a terrorist act in such a manner in the U.S. would be placed under arres within two minutes”.

The Serbian Writers' Forum said in a release that Belgrade media’s criticism of Nikolaidis was "proof that the Serbian political elite has not renounced its hegemonic intentions toward Montenegro, which is something that the Writers Forum decisively opposes”.

The Writers Forum has requested that “fatwa and lynch” be stopped by "allowing the public to see the entire Nikolaidis’ controversial text so all the interested parties could form a clear position about what the author wrote in the article".

In his latest comment, Nikolaidis compared Serbia to Iran.

Addressing the Borik case - the suspect in which is being held in Bosnia on terrorism charges - the Serbian interior minister stressed that it was in the RS Interior Ministry and Bosnia-Herzegovina Prosecution’s jurisdiction.

Dačić added that he had spoken to RS Interior Minister Stanislav Čađo, that the investigation was underway and that he had no new information about the case.

“What is certain is that the weapons were seized, it has been determined who brought them in but a possible connection with some individuals and groups is being investigated now,” Dačić explained.

The minister repeated that threats were a part of his every day work and "in job descriptions for top state officials", adding that he was "not afraid":

“If I were, I would not be here today."