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Kosovo's Media Appeals Board fines Bota Sot daily
PRISTINA 19 November 2002
PRISTINA, 19 November 2002 - Kosovo Albanian daily Bota Sot was fined 8,000 euros for violating Sections 6.2 and 3.1 of the Temporary Code of Conduct of the Print Media in Kosovo in the cases brought by Baton Haxhiu and Blerim Shala v. Bota Sot.
In a unanimous decision, the Media Appeals Board partly accepted the decision of the Temporary Media Commissioner, fining Bota Sot for violation of the Code of Conduct, following the Media Hearing Board ruling of 22 July 2002.
The International Judge Agnieszka Klonowiecka-Milart, chair of the Board, announced the decision. The Board accepted Bota Sot's appeal regarding the applicability of Section 4.1 of Regulation 2000/37 and Sections 6.1 and 2.1 of the Code of Conduct, but rejected the appeal on the sanctioning decision regarding Sections 6.2 and 3.1 of the Code. Consequently, it decided to reduce the TMC sanction from 12,500 euros to 8,000.
International Judge Klonowiecka-Milart explained that the leniency of this decision is only justified by the immaturity of the Kosovo press but appealed to Bota Sot to improve its journalistic standards, warning that future violations will be punished more severely.
In a unanimous decision, the Media Appeals Board partly accepted the decision of the Temporary Media Commissioner, fining Bota Sot for violation of the Code of Conduct, following the Media Hearing Board ruling of 22 July 2002.
The International Judge Agnieszka Klonowiecka-Milart, chair of the Board, announced the decision. The Board accepted Bota Sot's appeal regarding the applicability of Section 4.1 of Regulation 2000/37 and Sections 6.1 and 2.1 of the Code of Conduct, but rejected the appeal on the sanctioning decision regarding Sections 6.2 and 3.1 of the Code. Consequently, it decided to reduce the TMC sanction from 12,500 euros to 8,000.
International Judge Klonowiecka-Milart explained that the leniency of this decision is only justified by the immaturity of the Kosovo press but appealed to Bota Sot to improve its journalistic standards, warning that future violations will be punished more severely.