(New York, February 11, 1999)—Human Rights Watch today condemned senior Serbian officials who this week openly threatened violence against Serbia's non-state affiliated media.
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"Such threats suggest that the Serbian government may use Bulatovic's
murder as a justification to further crack down on domestic dissent."
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Holly Cartner
Executive Director of Human Rights Watch's Europe
and Central Asia Division
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In a press conference on February 10, the Deputy Prime Minister of
Serbia, Vojislav Seselj, directly accused Serbia's independent
journalists of being "traitors," presumably for their critical stance on
government policies. He added that he considered them "accomplices" in
the recent murder of Yugoslav Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic, who was
killed in a Belgrade restaurant on February 7. The killers have not
been found.
"Such threats suggest that the Serbian government may use Bulatovic's
murder as a justification to further crack down on domestic dissent,"
said Holly Cartner, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch's Europe
and Central Asia Division.
The Serbian government has long hindered the work of independent
journalists. Since October 1998, non-state affiliated media outlets
have been fined high penalties thirty-three times for "publicizing
untruths which violate the rights of the individual," under Serbia's
draconian Public Information Law. In five of these cases, Seselj or the
party of which he is president, the Serbian Radical Party, brought the
charges.
On April 11, unknown individuals murdered Slavko Curuvija, the editor of
Dnevni Telegraf and Evropljanin magazine, who had been openly critical
of the government. A commentary on state-run TV news three days before
his death accused him of supporting the NATO bombing.
In an exchange with a journalist from the Belgrade-based radio station
B2-92, Seselj threatened violence against the press and accused Serbia's
independent journalists of working for a "treacherous medium." In
response to a question, the Deputy Prime Minister stated, "Now the
gloves are off. Anyone who works for the Americans must suffer the
consequences. What consequences? The worst possible."
According to B2-92, Yugoslav Minster of Information Goran Matic said
today in a press conference that he agreed with Seselj's comments,
adding that some elements of the Serbian media were working to
destabilize the country. The radio also reported that the Association
of Independent Journalists in Vojvodina today announced it would bring
criminal charges against Seselj for his threats.
Excerpts of Seselj's threats against the media, provided by B2-92, are
presented below:
Press Conference of Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Vojislav Seselj
BELGRADE, Thursday, February 10
B2-92: What measures will the state take against state terrorism from
the West?
Seselj: Our response will be adequate, based on the Constitution and the
law, with the use of every instrument we have at our disposal for the
defense of our country.
B2-92: Against whom?
Seselj: Against all who are instruments of Western countries. Against
them all. Perhaps against your paper as well. You're from Novosti,
right?
B2-92: B2-92.
Seselj: Ah! From B2-92! What's that? I've not heard about that. Is it
registered? Minister, is there anything like that? Against all those who
act on instructions from the West, who receive money from the Americans
and their allies to act against Yugoslavia. In an adequate way. You are
going to experience this adequate way in practice. The gloves are off.
Now it's crystal clear: he who lives by the sword shall die by the
sword, and all of you should bear that in mind. Don't think that we're
going to let you kill us off like rabbits, or that we'll be coddling and
caring for you like potted plants. Be careful! You from B2-92 and the
other treacherous outlets. You can't really believe that you'll survive
if we're executed. You're very wrong. Any more questions?
B2-92: Since this thing happened with Mr Bulatovic - this tragedy and
crime - are you personally afraid, bearing in mind what you have said
about the state terrorism currently being carried out by other
countries? You're a prominent politician.
Seselj: You should know by now that I am afraid of nothing. Absolutely
nothing!
B2-92: A few weeks ago, rumor had it that you'd been injured in an
accident.
Seselj: Well you can see that I'm not hurt! Why would I be afraid? It's
you who should be afraid. You work for a treacherous medium.
B2-92: It's not a treacherous medium.
Seselj: Ah! It's not a treacherous medium! All right! You can prove
afterwards that it isn't.
B2-92: After what?
Seselj: After something. You'll see what. The gloves are off. You kill
statesmen off like rabbits here, thinking you're safe. You're making a
mistake. You're making a big mistake. Now the gloves are off. Anyone who
works for the Americans must suffer the consequences. What consequences?
The worst possible. You're working against your own country; you're paid
American money to destroy your country. You're traitors, you're the
worst kind! There's nothing worse than you! You're worse than any kind
of criminals!
B2-92: That's not true, Mr Seselj.
Seselj: It's very true. It's completely true. You're traitors because
you take money from the Americans and you always have. You're the same,
the ones who took money to kill the Defense Minister and you who are
paid to spread propaganda against your country. You're the same, the
same criminals. I'm quite certain about that because they submit
official reports about how much money they give you. And you're the
same.
B2-92: Are you looking among journalists for the murderers?
Seselj: We're looking for the murderers among those of you who work for
foreign intelligence services. You're accomplices in the murder. You're
the same. You journalists think you're some kind of sacred cows? Some of
you are cows, all right, but not sacred. You're murderers. You're
murderers of your people and your country, potentially. Yes, those of
you working for the Americans: you from Danas, you from B92, you from
Glas Javnosti, from Novosti, you from Blic. You're traitors to the
Serbian nation. You're deliberately working in the interests of those
who were killing Serbian children. You're doing it deliberately. You've
sold your souls. That's what you are!
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