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U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesman Press Statement

Press Statement by James P. Rubin, Spokesman
March 24, 1999

U.S. Strongly Condemns Belgrade Assault on Independent Media

As Serbia escalates the conflict in Kosovo and NATO prepares a military response to halt the aggression, the citizens of Serbia are being denied their right to objective news and information supplied by a free and independent media. The United States denounces in the strongest possible terms Belgrade's closure of Radio B-92 and the arrest of its editor-in-chief Veran Matic. At approximately 3:00 am Belgrade time this morning, police entered the Radio B-92 premises, shut down the station, arrested Mr. Matic, and seized equipment to silence what was Belgrade's pre-eminent independent broadcaster.

In Kosovo, Koha Ditore, a leading Albanian-language daily was fined by Serb authorities who claimed that the newspaper violated the Serbian information law. We are heartened to hear that the daily continues to publish, but we are concerned about Koha Ditore's future.

These actions come on the heels of previous repressive actions against independent media and the cultivation of a climate of fear. Belgrade's increasing attacks against Serbian independent media include the sentencing of staff of the independent daily Dnevni Telegraf earlier this month, and recent fines levied against Danas, Glas Javnosti, Blic, Kosovo Sot, and Gazetta Shqiptare.

The threat of NATO bombing has given Belgrade yet another pretext to engage in its assault against independent thought. Both B-92 and Koha Ditore have been leading lights of free expression in Serbia, and their silencing sends confirmation of Belgrade's widespread and systematic campaign against independent voices in Serbia, which has been ongoing for the past several years.

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