ALERT UPDATE - FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA

1 June 1999

IFJ questions EUTELSAT on suspension of RTS

SOURCE: International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Brussels

**Updates IFEX alerts of 28 May and 27 May 1999**

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is an IFJ letter to EUTELSAT Director General Juliano Berretta seeking clarification regarding the 26 May 1999 suspension of Radio Television Serbia (RTS) broadcasts:

Juliano Berretta
Director General
EUTELSAT
Paris

Brussels, 1 June 1999

Dear Mr Berretta

The International Federation of Journalists, the world's largest journalists' organisation representing over 450,000 journalists worldwide is concerned by the suspension of Radio Television Serbia (RTS) broadcasts by EUTELSAT as of 6pm GMT on 26 May.

We would appreciate receiving information from EUTELSAT to clarify the motivation and procedures behind this suspension.

In particular, we are interested in answers to the following questions:

What was the legal basis for the suspension?

Was a complaint made against RTS? On what grounds and by whom?

Was RTS given an opportunity and time to answer complaints against it before suspension?

How did EUTELSAT verify any allegations or complaints made against RTS?

Why did EUTELSAT choose to suspend RTS now, and not during the war in Bosnia when journalists' organisations and freedom of expression groups were vociferous about racial hatred and propaganda which was being broadcast by the station?

What options are available to RTS to enable it to resume broadcasting?

If you are not in a position to answer these questions, we would be grateful if you could give us the name and contact details of the person qualified to deal with our queries.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

AIDAN WHITE
General Secretary

For further information, contact Cailin Mackenzie at the IFJ, Rue Royale, 266, B-1210 Brussels, Belgium , tel: +322 223 2265 or +322 219 7780, fax: +322 219 2976, e-mail: ifj.safety@pophost.eunet.be, Internet: http://www.ifj.org/

The information contained in this alert update is the sole responsibility of IFJ. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit IFJ.

DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
College Street, Suite 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
tel: +1 416 515 9622 fax: +1 416 515 7879
alerts e-mail: alerts@ifex.org general e-mail: ifex@ifex.org
Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/

balkanhr mailing list
To unsubscribe please send mail to majordomo@greekhelsinki.gr
with the word "unsubscribe balkanhr" (without the ") in the subject.
Please report abuse at balkanhr-owner@greekhelsinki.gr