Dear Friends,

We inform you that according to the information we possess Serbian

regime on March 11 raised indictment against our daily independent

newspaper "Kosova Sot". According to the issued statements from the

press conference of the Serbian ministry of information held on March 12

at 1300 hrs, the news was announced that our newspaper is supposed to

pay the fine in accordance with the very primitive and middle age law,

with an accelerated procedure and maximal fine. Editing house

"Interpress R. Company" officially is supposed to pay the fine of

800.000 dinars while newspaper's publisher Ruzhdi Kadriu and Ibrahim

Rexhepi, chief editor are supposed to pay 400.000 each. The total sum is

1.6 million dinars.

This is a Draconian and unbearable penalty. Frankly, it means the

definitive ban for our newspaper "Kosova Sot" and furthermore without

our participation in court. This reminds us on middle age courts.

We reiterate that the measure and the above mentioned fine for "Kosova

Sot" is not spontaneous knowing from who it was issued.

The daily newspaper "Kosova Sot" started being edited on September 11,

1998. It appeared with a humble number of copies from 10.000 to 12.000

copies while only after three months it come out to be the most readable

newspaper in Kosova with over 35.000 printed and sold copies.

At the very beginning Serbian regime was aggravated with the front page

that why it was called "Kosova Sot" and not "Kosmet Sot". They were

upset with our fertile and independent editorial policy but the fact

that annoyed them most was the rapid increasing of the number of readers

in all towns and villages of Kosova.

Three days ago Serbian ministry had enough and decided in most

perfidious and completely middle age manner to castigate respectively

ban the daily newspaper "Kosova Sot".

We did what we could until now. Now we are uncertain that Serbian regime

is going tomorrow or day after tomorrow to bring the final decision on

banning the newspaper.

The newest current situation overcomes our capacity to face with the

crisis created by Serbian regime.

We pledge for your confidence, get involved and support us in any manner

in order to ease or free us from this evil that is attacking our

newspaper and particularly free word of the press.

Prishtina We count on your support.

13 March

1999

Respectfully,

Publisher and editorial staff of

"KOSOVA SOT"