Serbian Supreme Court Increases Zoran Dindic's Sentence

by Z. Panovic

Danas, Beograd, FR Yugoslavia, November 23 1998

Belgrade: The Supreme Court of Serbia has changed the sentence to Zoran Dindic, president of the Democratic Party, originally issued in 1996 regarding the so-called "wheat scandal"; the scandal started after the leader of the Democrats accused the president of the Serbian Government, Mirko Marjanovic for the alleged "machinations with wheat during sanctions". On that occasion the Democratic Party printed a poster with their "arguments and evidence". The Serbian Prime Minister sued the leader of the Democrats. On September 20 1996 Dindic was given a suspended sentence of two months in jail, with the probation period of two years [the sentence is only served if the probation officer deems that the accused has not improved his behavior], based on the Marjanovic's suit. Now, the Supreme Court of Serbia has changed the sentence to seven months in jail, with the probation period of three years.

The Supreme Court stated that the sentence was changed because the Court "especially had in mind the need to improve the discipline of the citizens, increase responsibility for publicly made statements, and more efficiently protect moral integrity of the passive subject (with the expression 'passive subject' the Court refers to Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic)". The Supreme Court also stated that the sentence was increased because of "Dr. Zoran Dindic's behavior after the committed act".

The Democratic Party believes that the new sentence was motivated by political needs and was ordered from above. The democrats say that the best indication for that is that the sentence was changed after two years, exactly at the end of the initial probation period.

"The regime first waited that the initial sentence expire and then Dr. Dindic was punished one more time. His probation period expires in June 2001. Thus, the regime used an opportunity to sentence Dindic without the scrutiny of the public and the media," emphasizes the statement by the Democratic Party.

Talking about the sentence, Cedomir Antic, a Democratic Party spokesperson, told us that "in the country where newspapers are banned and impounded, students arrested and sentenced for writing graffiti, professors fired, it is not a surprise that the leader of an opposition party is tried in secret". He added that "the regime did not silence the Democratic Party with the first sentence, nor will it do so with the new one".

Translated on 12/5/98

used without permission, for "fair use" only

Former dean and vice-dean without answer after 72 hours

Court Silent in Suit Against Politika

by G. Brkic

Danas, Beograd, FR Yugoslavia, November 24 1998

Belgrade: "Since they haven't given up the campaign against us, we will pursue our suit against them," said former Dean of the Electrical Engineering Faculty Borivoj Lazic for Danas.

That was his response to the fact that he and Jovan Radunovic, the former vice-dean at the EEF still have not received a reply from the City Misdemeanors Court, 72 hours after they sued the [state-controlled] newspaper Politika on Friday.

Thus, the City Court violated the Serbian Public Information Law, which specifies that the Court must respond within 24 hours to a suit.

"Our lawyers will tell us if there are any remaining legal options to force those who published lies to take responsibility for them," said Lazic.

On last Thursday, Politika published a part of the statement by the EEF trade union, in which Lazic and Radunovic were accused of organizing protests at the EEF in order to hide mismanagement and millions embezzled during their tenure. The two of them will also sue Sasa Kostic, chief of the general services at the EEF, because he without an authorization wrote and signed the statement and "confirmed" it with the EEF stamp, instead of the trade union stamp.

Translated on 12/5/98