IFEX- News from the international freedom of expression community
PRESS RELEASE UPDATE - FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA 28 May 1999
SOURCE: ARTICLE 19, London
**Updates IFEX alert of 27 May 1999**
(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release:
28 May 1999 - for immediate release

POLITICAL GROUNDS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR SERB TV BAN,
SAYS ANTI-CENSORSHIP GROUP

ARTICLE 19, the International Centre Against Censorship, today asked the UK government for clarification of the grounds for suspension of RTS (Serbian state television) from Eutelsat. Although the press release from the UK Department of Trade and Industry cited RTS transmissions "which included propaganda inciting genocide and racial hatred", when pressed by ARTICLE 19, neither the Department nor Eutelsat could give further details of such materials.

Malcolm Smart, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19, said:
"Whilst incitement to genocide and racial hatred constitute grounds for action against broadcasters, ARTICLE 19 would not support any decision to terminate transmissions for broader reasons related to content which may be regarded as political propaganda, yet falls within the boundaries of legitimate speech.

"We are seeking to ensure that the process by which 31 governments were able to cut off satellite transmission of RTS was transparent and based on extreme circumstances warranting immediate action. If this is not the case, a dangerous precedent will have been set," he continued.

"We expect that material gathered as evidence of broadcast incitement to genocide and racial hatred would be available for prosecutions by the war crimes tribunal", concluded Mr Smart.

As part of ARTICLE 19's commitment to international standards on the free movement of information and opinions across borders, the organisation upholds the view that broadcasters should not be censored except in the most extreme and narrowly defined circumstances.

Questions about the suspension process which ARTICLE 19 has addressed to Stephen Byers, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, include:

a.. Whether the decision to remove RTS from Eutelsat was taken as the result of a formal process;

b.. Whether RTS had been issued with warnings that its content was liable to render it subject to removal from Eutelsat;

c.. If the suspension is time-limited, based on improvement in the performance of the channel;

d.. What remedies, if any, are available to RTS to challenge the decision.

For further information, contact ARTICLE 19, 33 Islington High St., London N19LH, U.K. tel: +44 171 278 9292, fax: +44 171 713 1356, e-mail: ilana@article19.org, europe@article19.org, Internet: http://www.gn.apc.org/article19/. The information contained in this press release update is the sole responsibility of ARTICLE 19. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit ARTICLE 19.

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