17 July 2014

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), is expressing concern regarding the Belgrade appeals court ruling on July 1st, in which media outlet B92 was fined for defamation charges against the former Assistant Minister of Health Zorica Pavlovic

Link: SEEMO

The Belgrade high court upheld this in connection to the alleged mismanagement of public funds which included Pavlovic, and which B92 previously investigated and reported about.

Parts of information and evidence B92 included in their story came from an official police memo.

“This decision will not only have a negative effect on B92, but also deprive other media outlets from reporting freely. Restricting the possibility of reporting about matters of public interest is not only dangerous for media freedom and investigative journalists, but for the general public as well” SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic stated. 

An appeal can be passed to the Serbian Constitutional Court concerning this ruling.

 

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