Kostunica "Must Deliver" on promises to Find Serbian Assassins of Journalists Says IFJ

The International Federation of Journalsists World Congress meeting in Seoul has strongly condemned the brutal murder of Serbian journalist Milan Pantic, a reporter of Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti. "This killing is a sign that lawlessness and contempt for democratic rights are still present in post-Milosevic Serbia", said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary, "The challenge to the governent of Bojislav Kostunica is to shake off the complacency of the old days and bring the killers to justice". The murder of journalist Milan Pantic is "a test of the resolve of new authorities in Serbia and Yugoslavia and their commitment to end violence against media and journalists," says the IFJ. Delegates from 90 countries attending the triennial Congress noted that the murder of Serbian journalist and owner of daily Dnevni Telegraf, Slavko Curuvija was still unsolved after two years. "The new government promised in their pre-election campaign to find and punish the killers, but nothing has been done," says the IFJ. "The government must deliver on its promise," said Aidan White, "We insist that the authorities reinforce their efforts to find the killers of our colleagues and to bring them to justice."