SIX MONTHS OF JAIL

Trial to the editor of Borske novine ended

AIM, Belgrade, October 14, 1995

Stifling of local media in the South of Serbia continues. On October 12, in the District Court in Zahecar, a three-member tribunal chaired by Danilo Veljkovic sentenced Miroslav Radulovic, editor of Borske novine to a sentence of six-month imprisonment. The verdict was announced verbally after the trial, and after receiving the decision in writing, the dissatisfied party may lodge an appeal. It is expected that the decision could be delivered by the end of October.

In its July volume No. 13/14, Borske novine published on a whole page a photomontage-caricature taken over from Nis journal Onogost standard. The picture shows the highest officials of Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and the FR of Yugoslavia in "embarassing" poses. This photo-joke did not appeal to the local members of the ruling party (the Socialist Party of Serbia), so the police confiscated the mentioned volume of Borske novine. Municipal public attorney transferred the case on to the District Court "because Zoran Lilic was also on the photomontage, and he is in the competence of higher courts". Yet, President of Yugoslavia Lilic was not even mentioned at court in Zajecar. The whole story revolved around the "naked tsar", that is Milosevic.

The editor of Borske novine failed to convince the court that he had bought a copy of Onogost standard from a colporteur in Belgrade, and that in Niksic the same photo-caricature caused just humorous comments on account of the politicians. Now an opinion of the Supreme Court of Serbia is expected.

G.I.