Human Rights Watch expressed grave concern about the detention of two Serbian journalists in Kosovo by the the Ushtria Clirimtare e Kosoves (UCK), the armed ethnic Albanian group fighting for Kosovo's independence.
All parties are bound to respect the integrity of journalists," said Holly Cartner, Executive Director of the Europe and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch. "Any act of violence against them and other non-combatants is strictly forbidden."
Nebojsa Radosevic, a journalist for Tanjug, the state-run news agency, and a Tanjug photographer, Vladimir Dobricic, went missing on October 18 near the village of Magura. UCK political representative Adem Demaci and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have since confirmed that the two men are being held by the UCK.
According to the ICRC, the UCK said that the two journalists are under investigation for spying.
International humanitarian law, which governs internal armed conflicts, such as the conflict in Kosovo, demands the humane treatment of all persons not taking an active part in hostilities, including those in custody and under "investigation."
Radosevic and Dobricic are not the first Serbian journalists to be captured by the UCK. On August 21, Djuro Slavuj from Radio Prishtina and his driver Ranko Perinic were taken by men believed to be with the UCK near the city of Orahovac. They have not been heard from since.
Ethnic Albanian journalists working in Kosovo have also experienced serious restrictions by the Serbian police, including harassment, detentions, and beatings. This week the Serbian government passed a new Law on Information that severely restricts the free press in Serbia, both Albanian and Serbian.
The law's first victim is Slavko Curuvija, owner and chief editor of the magazine "Evropljanin" (European), who was charged on October 23 for publicizing information "jeopardizing the territorial integrity and independence of the Republic of Serbia and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia." If convicted, Curuvija faces a fine of at least $100,000.
