Tuesday, January 26, 1999
BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) -- A state court has ordered an opposition newspaper to pay $15,000 to the son of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic for slandering him, independent media reported Tuesday.
Marko Milosevic, 24, had filed the charges against the Srpska Rec newspaper for a series of articles in 1996 that described his allegedly shady business deals.
A Belgrade district court concluded that the newspaper ``inflicted moral damage'' to Marko Milosevic and imposed the fine -- steep by Yugoslav standards, where an average salary runs about $100 a month.
Marko Milosevic is the owner of Yugoslavia's largest discotheque in the central Serbian town of Pozarevac, his parents' birthplace. He reportedly also owns a radio station and several other lucrative import-export businesses.
On Tuesday, he announced plans to also open a Disneyland-style amusement park called ``Bambiland'' in Pozarevac, according to the independent Beta news agency.
Opposition to the Yugoslav president has often criticized his only son for alleged aggressive manners and for a luxurious lifestyle that contrasted sharply with the country's deep economic and social troubles.
Angered by newspaper articles on the recent birth of his out-of-wedlock son, Marko Milosevic allegedly threatened to beat up a reporter from an independent Belgrade daily. The author of the article in the Glas Javnosti daily was reportedly threatened with e-mails signed by Marko, saying he could ``end up in a wheelchair.''
The case was reported to police.
(Leskovac) The Leskovac District Court fined yesterday the publisher, journalist and editor of the independent paper Prava Coveka (Human Rights) the total of 220,000 dinars that may be substituted with 60-day imprisonment. The paper’s publisher, the Human Rights Committee in Leskovac, was fined 100,000 dinars, journalist Dobrosav Nesic 70,000 dinars and editor-in-chief Bojan Toncic 50,000 dinars.
The court’s ruling quotes that in the case of imprisonment a day spent in jail equals 60 dinars, while the rest of the due will be enforced.
Zivko Ljubisavljevic, director of Radio Leskovac, has sued Toncic under the Public Information Law because of the latter’s article published in the paper last December.
FRY president’s son threatens Glas Javnosti for publishing a report “Joy in the House of Milosevic”
(Belgrade) Marko Milosevic, son of the FRY president Slobodan Milosevic and president of the Union of Yugoslav Left Directorate Mira Markovic, yesterday morning “visited” the premises of the daily paper Glas Javnosti. Eyewitnesses claim that Milosevic junior, showing his gun and threatening the present, demanded to see editor-in-chief Milan Becejic and Dragan J. Vucicevic, author of the text “Joy in the house of Milosevic” published by this paper two days ago.
Yesterday morning about 10, accompanied by an unidentified person, Milosevic appeared in the premises of this Belgrade paper unannounced. There he found the reporters of the Belgrade desk and the official driver whom he threatened by saying: “Do you want me to knock you down, to break you, so you could see how the most powerful family does that”.
Failing to find the »desired« persons, Milosevic left the office.
Glas Javnosti reporters say that Marko Milosevic was particularly bothered by a part saying that »on the Serbian (Orthodox) New Year another chapter in the life history of the most powerful Serbian family at the end of the 20th century was opened«.
The author of the »disputable« text was not there yesterday.
Serbian Legislature Supports Nikolic and Vucic’s Candidacies for the RTS Management Board
(Belgrade) The Serbian Legislature Culture and Information Committee supported today the Serbian government’s proposal to elect cabinet members from the Serbian Radical Party, Tomislav Nikolic and Aleksandar Vucic (Serbian information minister) to join the Serbian Radio & Television Management Board.
ANEM Protests Over Arrest of Boban Miletic
(Belgrade) The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) protested yesterday over the arrest of the author of the book of aphorisms “Cry, Mother Serbia”, Boban Miletic.
The ANEM’s release quotes that the police in Knjazevac arrested Boban Miletic on January 15, held him in custody for three days and then referred his case to the District Prosecutor in Zajecar, charging him with the crime stipulated by Art. 157 of the Yugoslav Penal Code (exposing the state and President to ridicule). Subsequently, a Zajecar investigative judge decided on a 30-day custody for Miletic.
ANEM considers the above yet another case of the increased repression by the regime, annoyed not only by the independent media, but also by aphorists daring to criticize the state and its officials in a literary form.
Two-Month Suspended Sentence
(Nis) The Nis Municipal Court ruled yesterday a two-month suspended sentence or a year's probation to the owner of the private City Radio station, Nikola Djuric, for the criminal offense of unauthorized possession and use of a radio station…
Djuric figures as the only Serbian citizen prosecuted and punished for such a crime. Charges against Djuric were pressed by the Nis Municipal Prosecutor, while the Federal Telecommunications Ministry, banning the station and confiscating its equipment last August, acted as the suer in the case..
»I was kind of releived by the sentence, though I'm afraid the court did not take into account the argument of the defense saying that I cannot be punished for the state's delay in announcing the public competition for distribution of frequencies,« Djuric told a press conference following the court's vedict.
The president of the Yugoslav Laywers' Committee to Protect Human Rights, Biljana Kovacevic-Vuco, said the trial had not been fair and the »scandalous verdict sets a legal precedent on the grounds of which owners of all electronic media in Serbia can from now on be proclaimed criminals only because the regime fails to announce competitions and issue operating permits.« Vuco concluded by saying electronic media were »hostages to the regime.«
The president of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), Veran Matic, said that the organization's legal department would demand acquital, since the sole goal of the verdict was to intimidate owners of all professional and independent electronic media in Serbia.
Serbian Renewal Movement Enters Federal Government
Draskovic vice-president, Bozic, Komnenic and Nenadovic ministers
(Belgrade) Federal Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic yesterday carried out a reshuffle in the federal government incorporating into his cabinet officials of the Serbian Renewal Movement, as reported by Glas four days ago.
Vuk Draskovic, vice-president of the Serbian Renewal Movement was appointed government vice-president, Slobodan Nenadovic, popular deputy in the Serbian parliament became federal minister for internal trade, while Prof. Dr. Milan Bozic, deputy in the federal parliament and acting mayor of Belgrade became minister in the federal government.
Federal Secretariat of Information reports that Milan Komnenic, head of the Serbian Renewal Movement Deputies’ Club in the federal parliament was appointed federal secretary of information, as previously published by Glas.
BETA (January 11th)
(Belgrade) Federal Information Secretary Goran Matic messaged on Saturday the media “calling themselves independent” “to try not to change the current regime’s character and convince citizens to vote for other people that will be more servile and subjugated to them.”
"Slobodan Milosevic is the Yugoslav President enjoying full support and trust of all citizens, and that’s the fact nobody can change, neither through media war nor by pressure, force, threats and blackmail,” Matic said in an interview with Radio Belgrade.
"There is no such thing as dependent or independent media. Everyone has to live on something in the information process. So, if we have to be dependent on something, let that something be the prosperity of this country, peace, equality, stability and happiness of all its citizens,” Matic said.
He added that "the media calling themselves independent are much more dependent, as they depend on foreign money,” explaining that seven million dollars have been allocated to the media calling themselves independent by the Council of the European Union.
"It’s just truth that we are expecting the media to report this year, since truth is the only criterion for the development of a society. Truth is the only criterion of reality and everything outside its domain belongs to the one of disintegration processes, vulgarization and primitivism,” Matic concluded.
(Belgrade) Owner and publishing editor of the daily Dnevni Telegraf, Slavko Curuvija and the paper’s journalists Zoran Lukovic and Srdjan Jankovic have been interrogated this morning around nine by the investigating judge of the First Municipal Court in Belgrade, Zoran Djordjevic, concerning criminal charges brought against this paper by the Serbian government vice-president Milovan Bojic.
Before the interrogation today, defense counsels of the owner and journalists of DT, Rajko Danilovic and Borivoje Borovic, requested that justice Zoran Djordjevic be exempt, as well as acting president of the First Municipal Court Radomir Milikic, president of the District Court and president of the Supreme Court of Serbia Balsa Govedarica.
They stated that the justices concerned were “party colleagues and friends” to Bojic, a prominent activist of the Yugoslav Left.
“The fact that this is a case of conscientious completion of a party task is revealed by justice Djordjevic’s on the urgency of the trial. This assures the defense that the motives to start and conduct the criminal trial are political,” states their explanation.
On leaving the court Curuvija told the press that the procedure against him and journalists of his paper was “entirely senseless” and was “part of repression pursued by the regime against the DT and weekly Evropljanin”.
“It is a personal vendetta of government vice-president Milovan Bojic,” said Curuvija and expressed his regret for those “people in the judiciary who have to investigate and judge on orders”.
(Belgrade) Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) has today invited individuals and organizations in the country and abroad to sharply protest with the state bodies of Serbia and the FRY against repression over independent media and journalists.
The Association stated that the hearing in the case against the owner of the banned City Radio, Nikola Djuric, from Niš was scheduled for January 18, at the Municipal Court in Niš. He is charged with unauthorized possession and use of radio station referred to in Article 219 , para 1 of the Criminal Code of Serbia, which anticipates a prison sentence of up to one year for this offense…
“Despite the fact that the representatives of the federal government have, on a number of occasions, stated that all stations may continue operating pending the final decision on the distribution of frequencies, the inspectors of the Federal Ministry for Telecommunications prohibited the work of City Radio on August 18, 1998, took its broadcasting equipment away, and on that basis filed criminal charges against Nikola Djuric,” states the ANEM release.
Manojlo Vukotic, Glas Javnosti Editor-in-Chief and Director, Dismissed
The Management Board also suspends nine members of the Editorial Office. Vukotic claims he is dismissed by a phantom board and on “someone’s political order”
Belgrade The Management Board of the Publishing House Glas dismissed on Dec. 31 Manojlo Vukotic from the office of the paper’s editor-in-chief and director. Vukotic was replaced by Milan Becejic, former editor-in-chief of the daily Blic, while Slavoljub Kacarevic, former director of the printing shop ABC Glas, was elected the director of Glas.
The Management Board also suspended nine members of the paper’s editorial office and launched disciplinary proceedings against them.
As stated by Radisav Rodic, chairman of the Management Board, disciplinary proceedings, starting as of today, will resolve who of the suspended will resume his job. Rodic said that “the suspended have not justified their salaries”. The latter are banned to enter the building accommodating the paper’s editorial office.
Manojlo Vukotic told Beta news agency he was dismissed by “a phantom management board”, while the relevant decision was made on “someone’s political order” and he knew who was the person behind it. “Those are the people who invented the (information) law in order to close down all the independent media, freedom of the press and democracy in Serbia,” Vukotic said.
The newly elected editor-in-chief told Danas that he had been given free rein in the paper’s editing. The editorial policy will not be changed, he explained, except for slight alterations in the front page’s outlook, stating that Glas Javnosti was firstly published in 1844. He added he had nothing to do with the dismissals.
Denouncing any political changes in Glas, Radomir Rodic, chairman of the management board, stated that financial aspects were the only cause for dismissals. “The paper has been making losses. Vukotic refused to decrease costs. The point is that one man wanted to run exclusively on the paper’s editorial and management policies. We have decided to separate the two posts, whereby we have partially solved the problem,” Rodic said.
However, Vukotic clams that in eight months Glas Javnosti has become one of the most popular and best-sold papers in Yugoslavia, being printed in over 140,000 copies on the very day of his dismissal.
Vukotic told Beta new agency that “the group calling itself a management board” made a legal mistake by “ignoring that I am among the paper’s co-owners. The other two, according to Vukotic, are Radomir Ilic, owner of the Glas printing shop, and Slobodan Vukotic, lawyer from Belgrade. “Recently, the three of us have signed an agreement saying I may act as an editor-in-chief as long as I wish, and that any major decision should be subject to consensus,” Vukotic quotes.
When asked by Danas about the composition of the management board, Rodic retorted: “How dare you inquire, that’s a business secret.” According to him, the majority shareholder of the paper is the mixed ABC Product Corporation with private American investment, as well as local one from private, state and public sectors. Formally, he claimed, Vukotic is not the paper’s owner, since “only the one who gives money can be an owner.”
Rodic announced that on Jan. 29 a plan and special arrangement “to increase the circulation by 100 percent” would be publicized.
I. Kisic
Belgrade The former director and editor-in-chief of Glas Javnosti, Manojlo Vukotic, claimed today he believed the paper’s founders had been exposed to political pressure to make him leave Glas Javnosti. "I believe there was a political pressure to make me quit and stop editing the paper, ranging among the three most popular ones in Yugoslavia,” Vukotic told Beta. He stressed that “such a popular paper is in the way if there are upcoming elections.” "Vecernje Novosti is threatened with merge with Borba, Blic with being included in a political party, while Glas was to be disciplined from the inside,” Vukotic said. He added that the paper was pressed by “the same people who invented the laws on university and press, the latter being no longer either mentioned or enforced.” "That’s all the same policy close down as much as you can,” the dismissed director of Glas Javnosti said, stressing that the paper had published over past ten days several articles that could have been sanctioned under the information law, but were not. Vukotic claimed he had influenced in no way the paper’s financial operations. "It was only some ten days ago that Glas Javnosti was set up as a special entity with a bank account of its own, and I was appointed its director.” "No one knows exactly how high the losses are, since founders refused to discuss the paper’s income and expenses or interest rates on bank credits, and made all the calculations within their own circle,” Vukotic said. "At a meeting held some ten days ago, the founders proposed a new, 4 dinars price of a copy, as an analysis showed we were not working with profit when selling 100,000 copies,” he claimed. After his dismissal, Vukotic stressed, a decision was made that the price of a copy remained 3 dinars. He stressed that Rodic’s printing shop imposed higher prices to Glas Javnosti. “For instance, Glas with 24 black and white pages is printed at a price of 1,36 dinars per copy, while printing of Blic, including 33 pages out of which six are in colour, costs 1,30 dinars per copy,” Vukotic said. “I felt loss in such monkey business and tried to protect the interests of the editorial staff and my own by opposing such policy,” Vukotic said.
Belgrade The newly appointed editor-in-chief of Glas Javnosti, Milan Becejic, said today that “he had nothing to do with the dismissal of the former editor-in-chief, Manojlo Vukotic.”
Becejic told Beta that he knew nothing about “true causes of Vukotic’s dismissal.”
"Over preliminary contacts with the Glas management board, I said I was willing to accept the post of the editor-in-chief, but not to act as anyone’s executioner,” Becejic said.
He assessed that the paper’s staff has been working truly professionally so far.
Belgrade The dismissed assistant editor-in-chief of Glas Javnosti, Dejan Djordjevic, assessed today that the dismissed editors of the paper were “obviously victims of a foul play.”
"I know nothing about the causes of suspension and disciplinary proceedings, as we were prevented to enter our press office on December 31 and were handed over no decisions saying we have been under suspension,” Djordjevic told Beta.
He added that he had learned from his colleagues that the editors were suspended due to “job failures”.
"That’s an extremely broad definition and it’s hard to tell what it refers to, but it’s more than obvious that it has nothing to do with professionalism, since we used to work for over 10 hours daily,” Djordjevic said.
Belgrade The editorial staff of the Belgrade daily Glas Javnosti demanded the paper’s founders to return Manojlo Vukotic to the posts of the director and editor-in-chief.
A letter signed by 60 staff members quotes that the decision on dismissals is illegal.
"We demand that you immediately annul the decision by a non-existent management board, which is illegal and taken without informing or consulting the editorial staff that had moved to Glas because of Manojlo Vukotic and has been, together with him, making one of the most successful paper for over eight months,” the letter says.
Manojlo Vukotic is no longer editor-in-chief of independent Serbian daily paper "Glas Javnosti". Milosevic's government used the same recipe for Vukotic as it did 8 months ago when he was kicked out from independent daily paper "Blic". Although "Blic" was the best selling daily paper in Serbia at that time, Vukotic was kicked out because founder of "Blic" was forced to do that thanks to the government pressure. Both papers were famous for publishing details from personal lives of ministers and other high government officials as well as details and secrets from government affairs.
FONET (31 Decembar 1998)
BEOGRAD - Odlukom Upravnog odbora Novinsko-izdavackog preduzeca Glas, dosadasnji direktor i glavni i odgovorni urednik "Glasa javnosti" Manojlo Vukotic razresen je duznosti zbog, kako se navodi u saopstenju Upravnog odbora, "propusta u dosadasnjem radu kojima je naneta steta redakciji i osnivacu". Na Vukoticevo mesto dosao je dosadasnji zamenik glavnog i odgovornog urednika lista "Blic" Milan Becejic, a direktorsku funkciju obavljace dugogodisnji novinar "Politike" Slavoljub Kacarevic.
BEOGRAD - Glavni i odgovorni urednik "Glasa javnosti" Manojlo Vukotic, kako je FoNetu potvrdjeno u krugovima uredjivackog tima ovog lista, smenjen je danas sa te duznosti, a deo Kolegijuma je, kako se navodi, suspendovan. Izvor FoNeta blizak glavnom uredniku, kaze da je Upravni odbor doneo tu odluku, koja je jutros obelodanjena bez znanja Vukotica, koji je takodje clan Upravnog odbora i jedan od trojice vlasnika i osnivaca lista. Prema saznanjima izvora FoNeta, kao razlozi za smenjivanje Vukotica pominju se zamerke na poslovnu i uredjivacku politiku.
December 22, 1998
BELGRADE, Dec 22 (Reuters) -- Yugoslavia's only economic weekly Ekonomska Politika said on Tuesday it would not be able to publish this week because the government had seized its name, property and bank accounts.
"This is the first time in 46 years that Ekonomska Politika will not be printed," editor-in-chief Milos Markovic told a news conference.
Under a decree published in the Official Gazette on November 13, the Yugoslav government decided to merge 11 small media houses, including Ekonomska Politika, into a bigger and more powerful one controlled by the state-run daily Borba.
Ekonomska Politika was established in 1952. From 1993, when it was privatized, until November it was owned by employees and outside investors. It had a circulation of 3,000.
Borba is closely linked to the neo-communist Yugoslav Left party (JUL), founded by Mirjana Markovic, wife of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.
Ekonomska Politika's editor said the new owners had not interfered until this week, when a majority of journalists and editors were barred from their offices and lost control over the company's bank account.
The editor said he believed the latest issue had been blocked because a draft of the front page pictured a fist and the headline "'99 Dictatorship Economy."
Independent economists who attended the news conference said the government appeared to feel threatened by the weekly's strongly pro-reform attitude which they said painted realistic picture of the economy, in stark contrast to the official one.
"They (the government) are reading it and are obviously disturbed by what it says. They are disturbed by facts and figures and accurate economic analysis comprehensible to a wide audience but dramatically different from what the government says," said Mladjan Dinkic of the Belgrade School of Economics.
"Why abolish a low circulation weekly? Because it was widely read by company directors and top Yugoslav managers who read it to discover what was really going on. The government has realized that too many people knowing the truth posed a threat."
There was no immediate comment from the government.
Dinkic appealed for potential financiers to help 11 of the journalists and 13 administrative staff to continue working. Three journalists accepted work with the new owners.
Bosko Mijatovic of the Economics Institute said few, if any, local financiers would dare to invest in the paper.
"If this were a normal country, it would be easy to find financiers. But there are no free capitalists in Yugoslavia and it is not wise to lock horns with the state," he said.
Stojan Stamenkovic of the IEN Institute of Economic Sciences said the move against the paper sent a negative signal to possible investors.
"The abolition of the paper is a dreadful signal to foreigners who want to invest. It tells them 'don't invest'," he said.
New York – The Human Rights Watch condemned yesterday the decision by the Serbian university authorities to block access to the Opennet, a branch of the Internet, that enables the Radio B92 broadcasts, calling the action "a part of focused attempts by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to restrict the freedom of expression and academic freedoms."
"Opennet has played a key role in breaking the regime’s information blockade," a press release says, adding that "President Milosevic and his allies" directly violate the free flow of information.
Also, the release quotes that the assault against the Internet followed growing attacks against the independent media in Serbia, to which the new information law has imposed censorship under the threat of huge fines.
December 15., 1998, Belgrade
Extraordinary press conference was held On December 15, at the Democratic Party Headquarters, regarding the arrest of Srdja Popovic, Democratic Party's Spokesperson for the City of Belgrade.
Srdja Popovic told the present journalists what exactly occurred on December 15th, 1998. ''My name is Srdja Popovic. I am a member of the Democratic Party's Main Board, Belgrade's City Parliament and the Parliament of the Municipality of Vracar. I am also a Spokesperson of the Democratic Party's Belgrade Branch and an active member of the student organization
''OTPOR''. Today, I personally saw how Milosevic's and Seselj's legal state is functioning.
I was arrested at Kolarceva Street by a group of policemen who jumped out of the jeep. The arrest was conducted in a rather speculative manner, sort of like in American movies. During the arrest and search, I was not told why they were arresting me. Among the people that were watching the arrest, I saw Mr. Novakovic who is a friend of my father. I threw him my mobile phone and told him to inform my parents and the Democratic Party that I have been arrested. The police threw me into the jeep, and one of the policemen drove my car.
We arrived at the police station in Majke Jevrosime Street, where the policemen beat me. They were hitting my legs and my chest for about 20 minutes. The policeman with the serial number 101559 was the most eager to beat me. He also told me that he would like to be in Iraq, because he could put a bullet in my head and no one would care. They handcuffed me, we left the police station, got into the vehicles and arrived at a police station in 29. novembra Street.
Three of my friends that came to ask about me were also arrested at this police station, and one of them was beaten up. At this station, they harassed me again. They made me take my clothes off and on several times. Policeman with the serial number 101559 told me that he would tear my head off if he ever saw me again. I defended myself with silence and answered only the basic questions such is my address, name, etc. After some time, they offered me to sign some paper, which I refused to, since it did not state why I was arrested. This made them laugh, probably because they thought that they could arrest me without any charges or explanations. They wanted to place me in the solitary confinement, but they decided to let me stay with the other prisoners.
They told me that my status has changed for the better and did not harass me anymore. I believe that they changed their attitude due to my party's and OTPOR's media pressure. This was a public demonstration of force, nothing else. They wanted to use me as an example, to show others what can happen to those who are in politics, but think differently. I will continue my political activities, I will fight for changes, I will fight for my friends. To all those who got frightened by this incident, I can tell that the beating hurts only while you are afraid. Today we showed that they are afraid of the public and that the public still exists in Serbia.''
Legal representative of Srdja Popovic, Mr. Nikola Barovic stated: ''Today the regime tried to send a message - We can arrest whoever we want to, whenever we want to, so behave. This was a part of the propaganda against the political activities of Srdja Popovic, and therefore the Democratic Party.
Popovic's legal representativ Sinisa Nikolic, also said: '' For the first time in my carieer, I was invited to the office of the chief of the unit, most probably due to a public pressure. He was very polite and informed us that Srdja Popovic will be free to go at 5 p. m. The problem is that Popovic was arrested by the special police unit, and than turned over to another unit. Neither of the units could explain the arrest of Popovic. The reasons could be political. This is confirmed by the information we received at the police station, that there would not be any further action against Popovic.''
At the end of the press conference Srdja Popovic stated: ''OTPOR (Resistance) is the answer!!!''
DEMOCRATIC PARTY COMMUNICATION CENTRE
After the arrest and the beating of Srdja Popovic, his legal representatives Sinisa Nikolic and Nikola Barovic submitted charges against the police officer (serial number 101559), who beat Popovic the most and is serving in a special police unit that arrested Popovic. Nikolic and Barovic, announced charges for inflicting injuries on Popovic, since the medical examination after the arrest established that Popovic has chest, left leg and head injuries inflicted by the police.
The day after Popovic's arrest, the regime media controlled by the ruling coalition of Socialists, Radicals, and Yugoslav Left ''unofficially'' received information that Popovic was ''arrested for the possession of cocaine, which was for his personal consumption''. (Poltika Express-daily newspaper, and a private TV station BKTV, owned by Minister Bogoljub Karic). Popovic's lawyers reacted by filing charges against these media and demanded that his reply is published. However, these "democratic" media did not answer to Popovic's legal right to reply.
The next day (Thursday. december the 17th), the Ministry of Interior in Belgrade (MUP Beograd) issued an official statement that ''Popovic was called for an informative meeting, when 4,91 g of cocaine was found. This amount is considered to be for personal consumption, it does not fall under the criminal law.''
It took the regime two days to think of the excuse for this unlawful arrest and beating of the DP official and his three friends. The action of the special police unit and the brutal beating of Popovic, the Serb police called '' an informative meeting''.
The regime media, headed by the Radio Television of Serbia, issued the statement of the Ministry of Interior during the prime time. After the arrest and the beating, the regime attempted to continue political discreditation through the media.
Popovic's lawyers visited the Ministry of Interior and asked for the usual documentation: search warrant, arrest memo (which must be carried out in the presence of witnesses). The Ministry of Interior did not have the arrest memo (the only witness present during the arrest of Popovic deposited his statement at the Democratic Party. His statement does not refer to any legal procedure during the arrest or the drugs that were found).
In order to conduct expert analysis and take fingerprints, Popovic's lawyers asked to see the so-called evidence, i.e. cocaine, and the package it was found in. Ministry of Interior stated that they do not have the evidence, and that it is probably ''with the special police unit that arrested Popovic''. The reason why Popovic's lawyers did not receive the evidence is probably that without it , analysis cannot be done.
Meanwhile it was established that there are no files on Popovic's arrest at neither the police station at Majke Jevrosime (where Popovic was first held and brutally beaten), nor at the police station at 29. novembar, where Popovic spent five hours. The file and the photos made during Popovic's stay at the police station also disappeared.
Popovic's lawyers will continue filing new charges. Based on Popovic's request, the detailed analysis will be conducted in order to find any traces of drugs in his body. Popovic is continuing to fight with public charges those who tortured him. He is also more active at the DP and at the student movement ''Otpor''. Two days later he participated in an 80 km long march to Novi Sad organized by "Otpor".
Democratic Party is also continuing its struggle against all that made Serbia a country where a person can be arrested and beaten, without a warrant, evidence or any other legal document and without any legal possibility to defend him/herself.
Among many international institutions that supported this case was also the UN Commissariat for Human Rights. We believe that you will help our struggle for democracy.
Best regards, Communication centre of DP, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Proleterskih Brigada 69 tel 38111 3443-003, e-mail dsbgd@eunet.yu
CNN (December 3rd)
Parliament condemns 'destructive' U.S. involvement
December 3, 1998 BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (CNN) -- From their office in a downtown Belgrade hotel room, members of Serbia's newest opposition party are plotting what Washington now openly says it wants to see: a Yugoslavia no longer ruled by President Slobodan Milosevic.
They hope to cash in on a reported shift in U.S. policy.
The Clinton administration, which previously sought to work closely with Milosevic on peace in Bosnia, is now calling him the root of recent Balkan crises. It announced this week that the United States will encourage opposition groups to push for more democratic reforms.
"I hope the U.S. government has finally realized there is no long-lasting stability in the Balkans with Milosevic staying in power," said Milan Protic of the opposition Alliance for Change.
His views, however, are not shared by most of Yugoslavia's parliament, which on Thursday denounced what it called "destructive" U.S. policies and declared support for Milosevic.
The assembly accused the United States of "directly supporting separatism and terrorism and financing the adversaries" of Yugoslavia.
A sign the end is near?
The change in Washington's tone regarding Milosevic comes at a time when the Serbian leader is seen as increasingly isolated and weak.
In a series of surprise purges, Milosevic recently dismissed the chiefs of the army, the air force and the intelligence service and replaced them with loyal allies of his politically powerful wife. Some political analysts in Washington believe his administration will not last for long.
Milosevic's government sees no cause for concern.
"I can reassure you our government on the republic level and on the federal level both are stable, and I don't see any immediate change," said Serbian Deputy Minister of Information Miodrag Popovic.
Milosevic has effectively silenced dissent by cracking down on the media. In October, while U.S. mediators pressed for Milosevic to pull Serb forces from Kosovo, police closed down several independent newspapers and radio stations.
Parliament followed by passing tough new press laws that punish publishers and broadcasters who disseminate material deemed damaging to the state.
"We had serious papers spreading panic in that situation. You have to ban these articles and that kind of journalism," Popovic said.
Opposition: No more 'oppression'
Political opposition to Milosevic is also fragmented.
The leaders of the massive street protests in Belgrade two years ago are no longer united. Professors and students involved in the demonstrations have been thrown out of Belgrade University.
But they say they'll keep voicing their opposition until Milosevic is removed from power.
"I don't know when or how, but it's clear people will not bear anymore this repression and oppression," said university professor Sanja Jovicevic.
Some of the most vocal opponents of the government are those who once staunchly supported it. They are the state employees and retirees who go without checks on payday.
So far, Milosevic has managed to keep the police and army paid, and he reportedly has access to $1 billion or $2 billion stashed abroad.
But unless he can squeeze an economy crippled by years of tough sanctions enough to provide for all of Yugoslavia's pensioners, analysts say discontent for Milosevic will only grow stronger.
Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports: