YUGOSLAVIA: FILIPOVIC SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS

Описание: (27 Jul 2000) English/Nat
XFA
International and Serbian media organizations denounced the seven-year prison term handed down by a military court to a Serb journalist.

A military court in Nis found Miroslav Filipovic, a reporter for the independent Belgrade daily Danas, guilty of espionage and spreading false information.

Filipovic wrote about alleged Serb atrocities committed against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

He was the first Yugoslav journalist prosecuted for espionage here.

Yugoslav law provides for broad interpretation of what constitutes spying and state secrets, something critics say is aimed at suppressing opposition to President Slobodan Milosevic.

One of Filipovic's lawyers said the defense would appeal.

SOUNDBITE: (Serbian)
"As far as they are concerned, the accused is not guilty. The defence will appeal within the 15 days allowed."
SUPER CAPTION: Zoran Areljenic, Filipovic Lawyer

SOUNDBITE: (Serbian)
"Can you imagine how the wife of a journalist feels knowing that her husband is accused of being a spy and he is not. It is ridiculous to accuse him and say that Agence France Press is a spy organisation as they (AFP) are legally registered in Belgrade."
SUPER CAPTION: Slavica Filipovic, wife of accused saying

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