STATEMENT OF THE YUGOSLAV ACTION GROUP OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION "NEZAVISNOST" REGARDING THE PRISON SENTENCE TO DOBROSAV NEŠIĆ

Belgrade, May 14, 1999

_______________________________________

President of the Council for the Protection of Human Rights in Leskovac and editor-in-chief of the local monthly "The Rights of Man" Dobrosav Nešić began on May the 13th to serve his 30 days prison sentence. He was sentenced under the Media Law. The Magistrate Council in Leskovac confirmed on January 21st the sentence of the court of original jurisdiction sentencing Nešić under Article 69 of Serbian Media Law to the fee of 70,000 dinars, with the alternative prison sentence of 30 days.

Yugoslav Action Group of Nongovernmental Organizations and Trade Union Confederation "Nezavisnost" reminds that the reason for punishing the founder and longtime activist of one of the rare nongovernmental organizations in south Serbia is verbal offense, i.e. alleged false statement on the program of Radio Leskovac, which appeared in the article "To Write Like All Normal People", published in issue no. 5, 1998 of magazine "The Rights of Man". The carrying out of this sentence almost four months since it was passed, before the final decision of the Supreme Court of Serbia, in the conditions of the state of war in Yugoslavia, represents inappropriate repression and intention of local authorities in Leskovac to use these tragic circumstances to fight against their opponents. This move is calculated to spread fear among citizens and could have very harmful consequences.

We hope and are convinced that this is not an introduction to the wave of repression aimed against nongovernmental organizations, but a lonely act of local authorities, which will be condemned by their party colleagues and democratic public in our country.

· Alternative Academic Educational Network (AAEN)

· Association of Citizens for Democracy, Social Justice and Support to Trade Unions

· Belgrade Circle

· Belgrade Women’s Lobby

· Belgrade Women’s Studies Center

· Center for Policy Studies

· Center for Transition to Democracy (ToD)

· Civic Initiatives

· Civil Forum – Novi Pazar

· Children’s Humanitarian Fund

· Committee for Human Rights – Leskovac

· Democratic Movement for Pancevo

· ECO Center

· Environmental Issues Civic Committee – Pancevo

· Ethnic Forum - Subotica

· European Movement in Serbia

· Forum for Ethnic Relations

· FOSCODE – NGO Messenger

· Group 484

· Humanitarian Affairs Committee - Pancevo

· Movement of Margin – Kraljevo

· Peace Action - Subotica

· Peace and Crisis Management Foundation

· Shelters for Women and Children Victims of Violence

· Society for Cooperation With Neighboring Countries

· Society for Truth On Antifascist War 1941-1945

· SOS Telephone for Women and Children Victims of Abuse

· Subotica Agora

· Trade Union Confederation NEZAVISNOST

· WIN - Weekly Independent News

Women in Black Against War (WIB)

· Women’s Civic Initiatives - Kraljevo

· XXL Creative Group

· YU Lawyers Committee for Human Rights