Newsroom
Kosovo newspaper Bota Sot to face new sanctions
PRISTINA 25 July 2002
PRISTINA, 25 July 2002 - The newspaper Bota Sot is facing new sanctions after a decision taken by Kosovo's Media Hearing Board on Wednesday, 24 July, on a complaint originally brought forward by Xhavit Haliti, a Kosovo Assembly Presidency Member, and Salih Lajci, an officer of the Kosovo Protection Corps and former Kosovo Liberation Army Commander of Peje/Pec.
In articles published in June this year, the newspaper claimed the two men had been either conspiring or directly involved in several murder cases or other criminal activity during the conflict.
During a hearing today editors of Bota Sot denied any wrongdoing and argued that their writings did not harm the security of the two persons.
Both Mr. Haliti and Mr. Lajci complained to Kosovo's Temporary Media Commissioner who brought the matter before the Board. The two men said during the four-hour long hearing that the writings were disturbing to security both for themselves and their families.
The Board found unanimously that Bota Sot had violated the United Nations Mission in Kosovo Regulation 2000/37, according to which newspapers should refrain from publishing information in such a way that it may pose a serious threat to the life, safety and security of any such person through vigilante violence or otherwise. The Board also found that the Media Commissioner, when sanctioning the newspaper, has to base the decision on the fact that both the strong accusations against the two persons and the newspaper's long history of disregarding the media laws constituted aggravating circumstances.
The decision was given orally at the end of the hearing. Sanctions will be considered by the Commissioner after receiving the written decision from the Media Hearing Board.
In articles published in June this year, the newspaper claimed the two men had been either conspiring or directly involved in several murder cases or other criminal activity during the conflict.
During a hearing today editors of Bota Sot denied any wrongdoing and argued that their writings did not harm the security of the two persons.
Both Mr. Haliti and Mr. Lajci complained to Kosovo's Temporary Media Commissioner who brought the matter before the Board. The two men said during the four-hour long hearing that the writings were disturbing to security both for themselves and their families.
The Board found unanimously that Bota Sot had violated the United Nations Mission in Kosovo Regulation 2000/37, according to which newspapers should refrain from publishing information in such a way that it may pose a serious threat to the life, safety and security of any such person through vigilante violence or otherwise. The Board also found that the Media Commissioner, when sanctioning the newspaper, has to base the decision on the fact that both the strong accusations against the two persons and the newspaper's long history of disregarding the media laws constituted aggravating circumstances.
The decision was given orally at the end of the hearing. Sanctions will be considered by the Commissioner after receiving the written decision from the Media Hearing Board.