Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service
    Odraz B92 vesti (by 7 PM), December 28, 1996

    e-mail: beograd@siicom.com      URL: http://www.siicom.com/odrazb/
            odrazb92@b92.opennet.org     http://www.siicom.com/b92/
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    All texts are Copyright 1996 Radio B92. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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    NEWS BY 7 PM
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    10,000 ATTEND PREDRAG STARCEVIC'S FUNERAL

    Some 10,000 Belgraders and many journalists attended today the
    funeral of Predrag Starcevic, who died of injuries he sustained
    after the counter-rally held in Belgrade on December 24. Leaders
    of the coalition Zajedno were also present at the funeral. In his
    last funeral speech, leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement Vuk
    Draskovic said: ``You were killed by those who would not have our
    Serbia beautiful and marvelous as you were. When such a Serbia
    does come into being, when Belgrade becomes what you wanted it to
    be, one of its streets will bear your name.''

    During the funeral no police forces were observed in the cemetery
    and no incidents occurred. Upon leaving the funeral grounds, some
    2,000 formed a column and headed towards the city center. Their
    'promenade' ended without incidents, although special police
    forces prevented them from getting on the roadways. The next
    protest by the coalition Zajedno is to take place in the Republic
    Square tomorrow.


    BILDT CALLS ON MILOSEVIC TO ACCEPT OSCE RECOMMENDATIONS

    UN High Commissioner for Bosnia Karl Bildt today called on Serbian
    President Slobodan Milosevic to accept the recommendations of the
    OSCE delegation and to refrain from further use of violence
    against the protesters, reports Reuters. ``I would recommend to
    President Milosevic to confirm the results of the OSCE delegation
    led by Mr. Gonzalez,'' said Bildt in his official statement today.
    He added: ``I call on the authorities in Belgrade to show the
    greatest possible restraint regarding their actions against the
    peaceful and dignified protests which continue every day, and I am
    deeply worried by recent reports of violent actions against the
    protesters. The development of democracy in Serbia is of key
    importance for the peace and stability in the region,'' concluded
    Bildt in his statement today.


    CPJ'S LETTER OF PROTEST TO MILOSEVIC

    The letter of protest by the Committee to Protect Journalists
    (CPJ) to Serbian President Milosevic listed the journalists and
    cameramen who were beaten up by the police on December 26 and 27
    and whose news agencies gave confirmation of this. On the list is
    Rade Radovanovic, a journalist of ``Nezavisnost'' and
    correspondent of a German radio station in Cologne. Radovanovic,
    who is also chairman of the Independent Association of
    Journalists, was hospitalized for head and leg injuries after he
    was beaten up by police on December 27. Cameramen of the Russian
    Independent Television (NTV) and Reuters Television were also
    beaten up and their equipment smashed. AP's reporter and a
    journalist with the Italian TV 5 also suffered severe beating, the
    latter having to be hospitalized for injuries. ITN's cameraman had
    his equipment destroyed by the police while Radio B92's cameraman
    was beaten and hospitalized.

    The CPJ letter further stressed that at least 10 incidents
    occurred on December 24, when Milosevic's sympathizers were bussed
    to Belgrade to confront the coalition Zajedno demonstrators. The
    police beat up journalists covering the demonstrations and took
    away their video tapes and films. CPJ also expressed their concern
    that a correspondent of Radio Canada was denied entrance to FR
    Yugoslavia on December 3.

    CPJ stated that they have received unconfirmed information that
    the police are once again jamming Radio B92 despite the fact that
    the Serbian government has promised to stop such actions.


    ``REPORTERS SANS FRONTIERS'' WRITE TO TOMIC

    The organization ``Reporters Sans Frontiers'' today sent a letter
    to the Chairman of Serbian Parliament Dragan Tomic in which they
    strongly protest against the way the Serbian administration has
    treated Milica Torov, journalist of the independent daily ``Nasa
    Borba.'' The letter states that on December 25, the head of the
    Parliament's Press Department treated Mrs. Torov indecently, by
    calling her names and throwing her out of the room. ``Reporters
    Sans Frontiers'' have asked Mr. Tomic for an explanation of the
    incident.


    STUDENTS CONDEMN GOVERNMENT BODIES

    Representatives of student protests of all universities in Serbia
    met today in Nis and formed a Steering Board of the Student
    Protest of Serbia '96.

    A statement by the newly-formed board condemned the Serbian
    government in harshest terms for breaching the constitution and
    the laws of the country, thus jeopardizing the fundamental
    democratic principles of a law-abiding state. The statement also
    lists the Serbian Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education
    and the Ministry of Information together with Radio Television
    Serbia as the chief culprits responsible for the present critical
    situation. The student statement calls on the Serbian government
    to re-examine its actions in the interests of all citizens of
    Serbia, for time is running out.


    STUDENT MARCH TONIGHT

    Today's protest gathering of UofB B students is set for 18:00 in
    front of the School of Philosophy. Although the police prevented
    their march through the streets of Belgrade yesterday, the
    students have announced they will go for a short protest march
    this evening, walking in circles in front of the school.


    ``DNEVNI TELEGRAF:'' ALLEGED MURDERER ARRESTED

    Acting together, the police forces from Belgrade and Novi Sad
    arrested today Zivco Sandic, aged 46, reports today's issue of the
    daily ``Dnevni Telegraf.''  The police have reasonable grounds to
    believe that Sandic was in Knez Mihajlova Street (the very center
    of Belgrade) on December 24, and that he shot Ivica Lazovic, aged
    43, injuring him severely, stated the information service of
    Belgrade's Police Department. Sandic has already been handed over
    to the relevant court.


    NOVEMBER 17 ELECTIONS ANNULLED IN NIS

    The Nis Electoral Commission decided today to hold election reruns
    in 23 polling stations, Radio B92 learned from a Democratic Party
    representative in Nis. The commission allegedly could not decide
    which of the two were valid -- the original balloting minutes
    submitted by the coalition Zajedno or the minutes which were
    subsequently altered. The commission has therefore annulled the
    original election results and called for new balloting, said the
    Democratic Party representative, adding that the coalition Zajedno
    will not participate in these.

    Prepared by: Aleksandra Scepanovic
    Edited by: Vaska Andjelkovic (Tumir)

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service
    e-mail: beograd@siicom.com      URL: http://www.siicom.com/odrazb/
            odrazb92@b92.opennet.org     http://www.siicom.com/b92/
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