Syndicate: Financial inspectors raid Belgrade's Centre for Cultural Decontamination

[Andreas Broeckmann <abroeck@v2.nl>]

From: <mediawatch-owner@freeb92.net>
To: <mediawatch@freeb92.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2000 10:49 AM
Subject: ANEM PRESS RELEASE - Financial inspectors raid NGO


> Financial inspectors raid NGO
>
> BELGRADE, August 9 - The Association of Independent Electronic Media
protests severely over the raid by financial police yesterday at the
premises of Belgrade's Centre for Cultural Decontamination.  The inspectors
"temporarily" removed two computers, five system disks, eight video
cassettes and mail as well as photocopying the office address book.  The
seizure was explained as collecting evidence.  The raid was conducted while
most of the centre's staff were on summer vacation and only one employee, a
lighting technician, was present.  He told Beta news agency that the
inspectors had behaved unpleasantly, asking who the centre worked for and
what scale of salaries was paid to staff.
>
> ANEM regards this raid as a continuation of harassment of non-government
organisations in Serbia.  Previous victims of this campaign have included
the Centre for Anti-War Action, in June this year and the Helsinki
Committee.  ANEM warns that the Serbian regime is attempting to destroy and
discredit all elements of the civil society in the republic before the
September elections so that it can attack all non-government organisations
once it has seized control of all Belgrade media.  ANEM notes that the raid
was conducted by ideologically blinded inspectors who probably believe,
judging by their behaviour, that they were dealing with enemy espionage
organisations rather than registered organisations who work without profit
for the benefit of the society.  The temporary removal of computers and mail
is regarded as discrediting evidence in any civilised country, as it can
result in the discovery of "extra" documents.  This is one more
demonstration that this was a repressive attack on political opponents,
thinly disguised as financial audit.
>
> ANEM demands that local authorities stop applying repressive measures to n
on-government organisations, adding that, if audits are necessary, they
should be done in a normal and civilised fashion and not through raids by
irate inspectors while staff are on summer vacations.
>
> Veran Matic,
> Chairman.
> ANEM


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