Daily, Independent & Informative Newspaper

Kosova Sot

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PRESS RELEASE a:

The repression that is being made against the editing of the newspaper and its responsible staff, today, inspectors of Serbia's Financial Police, after they looked for newspaper's publisher Mr. Ruzhdi Kadriu at his house and chief editor Mr. Ibrahim Rexhepi, they entered the locals of the editing and printing house "INTERPRESS R. COMPANY," and brought the executive decisions to confiscate the goods. The Service of Public Incomes has brought this decision.

According to this decision, signed by the superior in charge for this service, Fuad Zejnilovic, the responsible newspaper's persons must promptly pay in the Serbian giro account by 400.000 dinars each while the publishing house "INTERPRESS R. COMPANY" 800.000 dinars. Regarding the fact that they do not posses that kind of money in their giro account, then comes the confiscation of movable and real estate property. Confiscation of the goods has been scheduled to take place tomorrow 17.03.1999 at 0900 hrs.

We must stress out that these decisions has been brought supported by the District Prosecution Court of Prishtina, which were not received by the punished persons as well as they did not participate the court case.

In this event we appeal again for pressure on the Serbian government's

organs which persistently are proving that by any means their intentions are to restrict from appearing any more the newspaper "Kosova Sot" as well as robbing all property of the enterprise and its responsible persons.

At the stage we think that only through pressure that could be made by

local and international mechanisms and reactions of the opinions, this repression could be stopped which is persisting for several months.

Editorial staff of the daily "Kosova Sot"

PRESS RELEASE b:

The daily independent newspaper "Kosova Sot" published in Prishtina and which is distributed in Macedonia and for Albanians living in Western Europe, is before a great danger of being shut down. Serbian regime wants to shut it down our newspaper in the most critical moments for Albanians when the internationally sponsored peace conference for Kosova is being hale in Paris and on the other side Serbian violence is escalating on ethnic Albanian population.

District Prosecution Court in Prishtina, according to the indictment issued by Serbian Information Minister, Aleksandar Vucic, decided to punish the enterprise "Interpress R. Company" with maximal penalty of 800.000 dinars while newspaper's publisher Mr. Ruzhdi Kadriu and its chief editor Mr. Ibrahim Rexhepi, with 400.000 each, which means total 1 600 000 dinars. This decision incarcerates another possibility from which true and impartial information could penetrate whether from Kosova or world in its entirety.

Editorial staff of the newspaper pleads all governmental and non governmental institutions either local or international as well as other newspapers' editorials to raise their voice of protest against these measures and totalitarian Serbian government in order to support their colleagues whom will be forced to leave their profession in the beginning of their career.

We are incapable of undertaking anything against Serbian regime except proliferating our true information wherever we are able to. However, we look forward that our pleas will be considered thoroughly.

Editorial staff of the daily "Kosova Sot"

Prishtina, March 15, 1999

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