Programme Director of Serbian Radio TV Vojvodina dismissed for the second time

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20/02/2018

BRUSSELS, 20.02.2018. – The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliates in Serbia, the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS), the Independent Journalists’ Association (NUNS) and the Journalists’ Union of Serbia (SINOS) in expressing concerns about the new dismissal on 29 January 2018 of Slobodan Arežina, programme director of regional public broadcaster Radio Television Vojvodina (RTV).

Arežina was first dismissed in May 2016, due to an alleged decline in ratings, and the lack of a Program Production and Broadcasting Plan for 2016. The Court of Appeal stated that Arežina was unlawfully dismissed and ruled for his readmission. He was reinstated in December 2017 but not allowed to take over. As a result, RTV had two programme directors for a few weeks, Arežina and Sonja Kokotovic Zecevic.

This situation was in conflict with RTV statutes. Therefore, Arežina filed a lawsuit against the management’s decision, which resulted in his second dismissal. According to the management, the dismissal was necessary due to a ‘surplus of employees’. The management of RTV justified its decision by stating that one programme director was sufficient and that Sonja Kokotovic Zecevic was a better candidate for the position because she had worked longer at RTV than Arežina.

According to NUNS, after receiving a second dismissal, Slobodan Arežina was unexpectedly contacted to sign an annex to his (cancelled) contract putting him on a project manager position. His lawyer advised him to sign such an annex – refusal will allow his employer to dismiss him lawfully and the legal practice confirms that in majority of cases, judges take such position. This would leave Arežina without legal remedy. RTV stated that the situation is a result of lack of ‘synchronised actions of RTV human resources and legal office’.

“We consider this decision by the RTV management a clear signal that it doesn’t want to give up on its pro-government editorial policies that lead to decrease in this public services viewers. We concluded this based on the fact that Arežina upon his return to work, wrote to the RTV Managing Board where it clearly stated that he thinks that the current editorial policy of RTV leads to a decrease of citizens’ trust, and that the RTV programme has to be redefined, professionals that were dismissed in May 2017 have to be returned to their posts and all programmes and shows that were cancelled re-introduced”, NUNS reported.

Further dismissed reporters and editors of RTV formed the movement ‘Support RTV’ which organised street protests and other campaigns to raise awareness for Arežina’s dismissal.

Belgijski novinar Filip Bertinšan dobio boravišnu vizu

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IJAS

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20/02/2018

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BEOGRAD, 20.02.2018. – Belgijski novinar Filip Bertinšan dobio je boravišnu vizu na godinu dana, nakon što se u medijima pisalo da mu preti proterivanje iz Srbije pošto mu je odbijen zahtev za produženje privremenog boravka, prenosi N1.

Kako prenosi N1 Bertinšan će u utorak u Medija centru održati konferenciju za novinare, zajedno s kolegama i novinarima Reportera bez granica.

Ranije se oglasila belgijska radio-televizija na francuskom jeziku (RTBF) navodeći u saopštenju da ovom belgijskom novinaru preti proterivanje iz Srbije odakle izveštava već 10 godina.

„Dopisniku RTBF-a preti proterivanje iz zemlje u kojoj radi. Prvi put nakon 10 godina, srpske vlasti odbijaju da mu produže vizu. On, po njima, ‘predstavlja pretnju javnom redu i nacionalnoj sigurnosti’“, objavio je RTBF na svojoj internet stranici.

RTBF dodaje da se njihovom dopisniku ne zamera ništa konkretno i kaže da je reč o iskusnom profesionalcu koji već 10 godina izveštava iz tog područja, a najviše iz Srbije.

Osim za RTBF, Bertišan izveštava za nekoliko frankofonih medija, među ostalima za Liberation, Mediapart i Courrier des Balkans. Oženjen je Srpkinjom i dobar je poznavalac regiona, navodi RTBF.

U članku se kaže da Evropska komisija u svojim izveštajima već godinama upozorava na probleme u pogledu slobode medija u Srbiji, da je u parlamentu izglasan zakon o medijima koji je u skladu sa evropskim očekivanjima, ali da se ne sprovodi.

„Previše znatiželjni novinari u Srbiji primaju pretnje, eksplicitne ili implicitne. Nezavisni mediji trpe ekonomske posledice ako se ne sviđaju vlastima. Pravosuđe i policija ne čine ništa da ih zaštite. Kako bi preživeli, puno novinara i medija pribegava autocenzuri“, navodi RTBF.

„Danas Filipu Bertišanu prijeti proterivanje. Ali, osim njegovog slučaja, u pitanju je sloboda medija u Srbiji“, zaključio je RTBF.

UNS: MUP i BIA i dalje duguju obrazloženje javnosti

Udruženje novinara Srbije (UNS) pozdravilo je odluku Ministarstva unutrašnjih poslova (MUP) da belgijskom novinaru Filipu Bertinšanu produži boravišnu vizu, ali i dalje očekuje da ovo ministarstvo i Bezbednosno informativna agencija (BIA) javno saopšte na osnovu čega su ga prethodno proglasili „pretnjom po bezbednost države i njene građane“.

„UNS od MUP-a i BIA traži da javnosti objasne na osnovu čega je Bertinšan bio proglašen bezbednosnom pretnjom i koji se to „novi detalj pojavio“ zbog čega je odlučeno da mu se produži boravišna viza“, ističe UNS u saopštenju.

Belgian Journalist Allowed to Stay in Serbia after Protest

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IJAS

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20/02/2018

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BELGRADE, 20.02.2018. – After a protest by media rights organisation Reporters Without Borders, Serbia has granted a temporary residence permit to Belgian journalist Philippe Bertinchamps – a permit that he was previously denied.

“They called me an hour ago and I was granted a visa. I still cannot believe it. They did not say anything to me, they said they had some ‘new elements’, not specifying what kind, but because of these ‘new elements’ I am no longer a threat, but a reputable citizen,” Bertinchamps told Serbian website Raskrikavanje.

The RSF website had expressed concern earlier on Monday after Bertinchamps was denied the residence permit.

“Reporters Without Borders, RSF, condemns the decision and alerts international opinion to his plight, which follows an increase in harassment of journalists in Serbia,” it said.

Before the permit was belatedly issued, Bertinchamps told Raskrikavanje that he believed he was no longer welcome in Serbia because of his “critical writing about the situation in the country”, adding: “I do not want to leave Serbia. I’m not a spy, not a criminal.”

Raskrikavanje wrote that Bertinchamps has been in Serbia for ten years and has written numerous critical articles about the Serbian authorities and about corruption in the country.

“I have never made fake news, I did not insult anyone, I checked my sources and information. I cannot understand how my reporting can jeopardise Serbia’s national security,” Bertinchamps insisted.

The Serbian Interior Ministry, MUP, and the Security Agency, BIA, were unavailable for immediate comment.

But RSF reported that Bertinchamps was previously summoned twice by the BIA for “in-depth informative interviews” – the first time in April 2017, shortly after Serbia’s last presidential election, which he covered.

It added that the journalist has been based in Belgrade since 2007, is married to a Serbian press photographer and is the father of a five-year-old girl.

He reports for Le Courrier des Balkans, Mediapart, Libération, RFI, RTBF, Le Soir, La Tribune de Genève and other international French-language media.

According to RSF, his application for a temporary residence permit on family unity grounds was rejected by the MUP in April 2017 and again on January 8 this year, without any explanation.

“Given the extremely worrying situation of media freedom in Serbia, where independent journalists are nowadays the targets of physical and verbal violence and even hate campaigns by pro-government media, we believe that this case must, as a matter of urgency, be drawn to the attention of the Serbian, European and international public,” RSF said.

NOTE: This article was updated on February 19 to reflect the fact that Bertinchamps was given the temporary residence permit after it was previously denied.

Journalists from Elta released from all charges

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BHJA

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20/02/2018

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SARAJEVO, 19.02.2018. -The Appellate Panel of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina confirmed releasing journalist from Elta TV from charges of causing national, racial and religious hatred.

The Second Instance Verdict stated that the First Instance Verdict was confirmed, on which the Prosecution of BiH filed an appeal. The Accused are also acquitted of trial costs.

For the purpose of reminding, in February 2014, on ELTA TV, Milan Mandić, the president of the Association of Families of Missing Persons of the Sarajevo-Romania Region, was accusing Munire Subasic and Hatidza Mehmedovic from the Association “Mothers of Srebrenica”. Then he said that tha God’s justice will reach them.

God’s justice came to Srebrenica . I talk publicly about this. The war crime began in 1992 and 1993 in Srebrenica, Skelane, Potočari, Kravica and Bratunac, and God’s justice arrived in 1995, ” said Mandić, after what the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina filed charges against journalists and editor of Elta TV.

The indictment, signed by the prosecutor Izet Odobasic, was rejected by the judge for the the preliminary proceedings of The Court of BiH , arguing that the disputed statement was characterized as a hate speech on the basis of “overwhelming and arbitrary interpretation” and that the whole context of the case was not taken into consideration. However, after this, the three-chamber Panel of the Court of BiH confirmed this indictment and the judicial process begun.

“The Council does not find that the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH has challenged the findings of the first instance court in relation to decisive facts, but rather the contested verdict gives the reasons for its conclusion conclusively to this panel, finding that it has not been proven that the accused committed the acts in the manner described in the Indictment “, was stated.

Siniša Vukelić, president of the Journalists Club in Banja Luka, considers, that from the beginning there were no elements for including the Prosecutors office of BiH and spending budget on indictments against journalists.

“Instead of dealing with the difficult cases of fraud and crimes within their jurisdiction, and on which the media report on a daily basis, they are turning against journalists,” he says.

NUNS i NDNV: Srbija proteruje politički nepodobnog stranog dopisnika

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IJAS

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19/02/2018

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BEOGRAD, 19.02.2018. – Nezavisno udruženje novinara Srbije (NUNS) i Nezavisno društvo novinara Vojvodine (NDNV) smatraju da pretnja proterivanjem iz zemlje dopisnika brojnih inostranih medija, belgijskog državljana Filipa Bertišana – predstavlja međunarodni incident i novu fazu u gušenju medijskih sloboda i zabrani kritičkog mišljenja i govora u Srbiji.

Očigledno da Filip Bertišan, koji godinama živi u Beogradu i koji je među kolegama poznat po visokom nivou profesionalizma, smeta aktuelnoj vlasti upravo zbog toga što je vrstan poznavalac političkih i društvenih prilika u Srbiji i što njegovi prilozi u zapadnim medijima nisu u skladu sa marketinškom slikom Aleksandra Vučića kao “velikog reformatora”, odnosno zato što prikazuju stvari u Srbiji upravo onakvima kakve jesu – a one su poražavajuće u svakoj oblasti, a posebno u oblasti vladavine prava, korupcije, političkog i medijskog pluralizma, i slobode uzražavanja.

NUNS i NDNV upozoravaju građane da se Bezbednosno-informativna agencija u potpunosti vratila u devedesete godine i da je temeljno saslušavala Bertišana zbog njegovih napisa i intervjua koje je pravio tokom prošlogodišnjih predsedničkih izbora.

Da nije zastrašujuće, bilo bi komično: Srbija ponovo liči na zemlju iz filma “Balkanski špijun”, u kojoj “stranci” predstavljaju potencijalnu bezbednosnu pretnju, pa tako zvuči i obrazloženje MUP-a da Bertišanu odbije produženje zahteva za produženje boravka – on naime, prema policiji i BIA-i, predstavlja “pretnju javnom redu i nacionalnoj sigurnosti”.

Filip Bertišan u Beogradu živi od 2007. godine, oženjen je državljankom Srbije sa kojom ima i petogodišnju kćerku, nikada nije imao bilo kakvih problema sa policijom, a njegovi izveštaji primer su novinarskog profesionalizma.

NUNS i NDNV se u potpunosti solidarišu sa kolegom Bertišanu i pružiće mu podršku u ostvarenju njegovih prava, koja su ujedno i prava zagarantovana i domaćim zakonima i brojnim međunarodnim aktima, a koja se opet tiču svakog građanina ove zemlje.

Nezavisno udruženje novinara Srbije

Nezavisno društvo novinara Vojvodine

Serbia threatens Belgrade-based Belgian reporter with expulsion

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IJAS

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19/02/2018

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BELGRADE, 19.02.2018. – The Serbian interior ministry has rejected a request by Philippe Bertinchamps, a Belgrade-base Belgian correspondent for various French-language media, for a temporary residence permit so that he can continue living with his Serbian family. Instead, he is now threatened with expulsion for posing an “obstacle to public order and national security.” Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the decision and alerts international opinion to his plight, which follows an increase in harassment of journalists in Serbia.

Philippe Bertinchamps, a Belgian journalist based in Belgrade who reports for Le Courrier des Balkans, Mediapart, Libération, RFI, RTBF, Le Soir, La Tribune de Genève and other international French-language media, is currently threatened with expulsion by Serbia’s interior ministry (MUP) on the pretext that he poses an “obstacle to public order and national security.”

No grounds have ever been offered to support this claim. Bertinchamps was previously summoned twice by Serbia’s Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) for “in-depth informative interviews” – the first time in April 2017, shortly after Serbia’s latest presidential election, which he covered.

Given the extremely worrying situation of media freedom in Serbia, where independent journalists are nowadays the targets of physical and verbal violence and even hate campaigns by pro-government media, we believe that this case must, as a matter of urgency, be drawn to the attention of the Serbian, European and international public.

Bertinchamps has been covering Serbia and most the western Balkans for the past ten years, and he has always displayed the utmost impartiality in his reporting. He has never had any run-ins with the police and, until 2017, he had always obtained his residence permits without any problem.

Based in Belgrade since 2007, he is married to a Serbian woman who is a press photographer, and he is the father of a five-year-old girl. His application for a temporary residence permit on preservation of family unity grounds was nonetheless rejected by the MUP in April 2017 and again on 8 January 2018 without any explanation.

A Serbian administration court ruled in his favour in November 2017, agreeing that the authorities should provide grounds for their rejection of his application. The MUP’s two refusals violate not only Serbian procedural regulations but also article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, on respect for private and family life.

As the Serbian authorities pay little heed to court rulings and the interior ministry’s behaviour is unworthy of a country seeking admission to the European Union, and because he also wants to defend his career as a journalist, Bertinchamps has decided not only to file a new complaint with the administrative court but also to refer his situation to the highest European and international authorities.

A press conference will be held on 20 February at Belgrade’s Medija Centar at 2PM

Le Courrier des Balkans

Mediapart

Libération

Reporters sans Frontières

La Tribune de Genève

RTBF- Informations

Radio France Internationale

The re-election of Cvetkovski is an attack on the reforms of MRT

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AJM

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19/02/2018

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SKOPJE, 19.02.2018 – The Association of Journalists of Macedonia believes that re-election of Marjan Cvetkovski as director of the Macedonian Radio Television again proves the political control over the institution and is not aligned with the expected reforms. The choice of Cvetkovski is a result of the strong pressure that the political party in opposition VMRO-DPMNE and the one in government DUI put on the members of the Program Council.

Unfortunately, the member of the Program Council nominated by AJM did not support the re-election of Cvetkovski, and failed to persuade the members of the Council to vote for a director that is an experienced manager, one not affiliated with any political party.
We would like to bring to attention the fact that at least four of the Council members that voted for Cvetkovski were elected contrary to the law. Article 119, paragraph 1, line 2 of the Law on Audio and Audio-visual Media Services, states that persons who in the last five years were public office-holders are not eligible and cannot be elected as members of the Program Council.

We call on the National Assembly to conclude incompatibility between functions and to dismiss form the MRT Program Council, Jagnula Kunovska and Kosana Mazneva, former MPs of VMRO-DPMNE, Agim Ljaka, a former Ambassador and Snezhana Klincharova, a former spokesman of the Municipality of Butel.

AJM warns that reformers in the Public Service must not be subject to a political bargaining between the current Government and the opposition, on the expense of the public interest.

Head of University Boras banned journalists to be present at the Zagreb University Senate’s session with agenda of electing new Head of the University

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CJA

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19/02/2018

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Zagreb, 16.02.2018 - Izvanredna sjednica Senata — Zagreb, 160218. Sveuciliste, Trg Republike Hrvatske. Izvanredna sjednica Senata na kojoj kandidati za rektora predstavljaju svoje programe. Na fotografiji: Zastitari brane novinarima ulaz u sveuciliste. Foto: Ranko Suvar / CROPIX

16.02.2018. – As reported to Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA), in spite of appealing not to do it doormen did not allow reporters to enter the Senate House and be present at the Senate’s session at 12:00.

The session was called to start the procedure of electing new Head of University. CJA condemns that move of Damir Boras, Head of University, who is one of two candidates for that position. CJA at the same time insists journalists should undisturbedly report about the next session on Friday as it is in public interest.

16 journalists and the same number of media houses (in the meantime it reached 17) sent appeal to Damir Boras, Head of the University, asking him to allow entrance to today’s session of the University Senate. At the session two candidates were to present their programs. CJA supported the appeal. It included the next Senate’s session on Friday February 23, when new Head is supposed to be elected.

Konferencija “Slobodni evropski mediji”: Borba za pluralizam i protiv cenzure kao uslov razvoja slobodne demokratije

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BHJA

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19/02/2018

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GDANSK, 18.02.2018.-Novinari u Evropi moraju se boriti za princip pluralizma koji je ugrožen pred usponom populizma, a vlasti i institucije evropskih zemalja moraju učiniti više za sigurnost novinara, ključne su to preporuke dvodnevne međunarodne konferencije Slobodni evropski mediji (Free European Media) koja je održana u gradu Gdansk na sjeveru Poljske.

Sudionici i panelisti pozvali su vlasti evropskih država na oslobađanje svih zatvorenih novinara diljem Evrope, i poručili nacionalnim liderima da čvrsto brane i promovišu slobodu medija.

“Slobodni i nezavisni mediji su od suštinskog značaja za borbu protiv zloupotrebe i korupcije u društvima. Ozbiljno novinarstvo nije moguće bez snažne institucionalne podrške sigurnosti novinara”, rekao je šef Odjela za informaciono društvo Vijeća Evrope Penninckx Patrick, te ocijenio kako pojedine vlade ne daju podršku slobodi medija i sigurnosti novinara.

Predsjednik Evropske federacije novinara (EFJ) Mogens Blicher Bjerregård ocijenio je Tursku i Azerbejdžan kao najopasnije zemlje za rad novinara, gdje je više od 150 novinara zatvoreno zbog svog rada i fabrikovanih optužbi. “Iskustva pokazuju da uplitanje države u rad medija dovodi do arbitrarnog gašenja medija od strane institucija. U takvim okolnostima novinari su mete prijetnji, napada pa čak i ubistava. Očekujemo od evropskih političkih lidera aktivnu i punu podršku slobodi medija”, rekao je on.

Predstavnik OSCE-a za slobodu medija Harlem Désir naglasio je važnost borbe za princip pluralizma, koji podrazumijeva “nenametanje svoje istine drugima i vjerovanje da će interes društva biti najbolje zadovoljen kroz široku raspravu o različitim pogledima na društvene probleme”.

“Stoga je odbrana slobodnog, nezavisnog, kritičnog i pluralnog novinarstva ključna za demokratiju kao i za odgovornost vlasti u borbi protiv korupcije i garantovanju slobodnih izbornih nadmetanja”, rekao je Désir.

Na panelima konferencije je između ostalog bilo riječi o etičkim standardima i auto-cenzuri, uticaju loših zakonskih rješenja na rad medija te praktičnoj pravnoj podršci novinarima koji su suočeni sa tužbama.

Specijalni gost drugog dana konferencije bio je Lech Wałęsa, jedan od osnivača sindikata “Solidarność”, dobitnik Nobelove nagrade za mir iz 1983. te bivši predsjednik Poljske od 1990. do 1995.

Dvodnevna konferencija održana je u Centru evropske solidarnosti u Gdansku, nedaleko od brodogradilišta u kojem su radnici 1980. započeli štrajk i formirali nezavisni sindikat “Solidarność” pod vodstvom Lech Wałęsa. Bio je to prvi radnički sindikat u okviru Varšavskog pakta koji nije bio pod kontrolom Komunističke partije, a njihov štrajk bio je jedan od niza događaja koji su na koncu doveli do rušenja Berlinskog zida i simbolizuje početak ere moderne Evrope.

Međunarodnu konferenciju “Slobodni evropski mediji” organizovali su Evropska federacija novinara (EFJ) u saradnji sa Vijećem Evrope, Nordic Journalism Centre, European Center for Press and Media Freedom, International Press Institute, European Federation of Public Service Unions, gradskom upravom Gdansk, upravom regije “Pomorskie” i Centrom evropske solidarnosti u Gdansku.

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