Rights groups denounce acquittal of former Serbian security officers accused of killing a journalist
ABC News
Media rights groups and opposition campaigners have condemned a Serbian appeals court ruling that acquitted four former intelligence officers who were jailed for the killing of a prominent editor and newspaper publisher
BELGRADE, Serbia -- Media rights groups and opposition campaigners on Saturday condemned a Serbian appeals court ruling that acquitted four former intelligence officers who were jailed for the killing of a prominent journalist and newspaper publisher who was fiercely critical of the government in Belgrade.
Slavko Curuvija was shot dead at the entrance to his Belgrade apartment during the 1999 NATO bombing of Serbia over its crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists.
His killing became a symbol of the long struggle for a free press in the Balkan nation that is formally seeking membership in the European Union.
The ruling by the Appeals Court on Friday overturned its previous verdict in 2021 that convicted the four men and sentenced them to lengthy prison terms. The court in Belgrade said that the accusations against the four “have not been proven beyond a doubt.”
Independent media organizations were shocked by the acquittal and warned that critical journalists in Serbia still face threats because of their work.
