Mediacentar Sarajevo invites you to the public debate

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009, at 6 pm

The issue of media responsibility during the war in ex-Yugoslavia is recent again – the Special Court for War Crimes in Belgrade has initiated an investigation on warmongering and war crimes comitted in the cases of Zvornik and Ovčara. Seven years ago, in Rwanda, three journalists  were accused of genocide and incitement to genocide through their use of radio broadcasts and newspapers. Investigation of the Serbian Court and trials in Rwanda, are the first cases of this kind since Julius Streicher, owner of the anti-Semitic, Nazi magazine 'Der Stumer', was faced with the judges in Nuernberg in 1946. Unfortunately, it really seems that history repeats itself.   

Does, when and how freedom of speech derogate in war crime? Which are the legal aspects of media responsibility and war crimes? Why have there not been lustration processes in the media after the war, and what implications might the initiative from Belgrade have for media in the region?

We will discuss these and many other questions with our guests -  Drago Hedl, columnist in ‘Jutarnji list’ daily paper and journalist of the former Feral Tribune; Nataša Tešanović, Editor at ATV-a from Banja Luka; Vesna Tančica, Prosecutor at the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Moderator of the debate is Aldin Arnautović, journalist and producer, co-author of the documentary serial 'Antipropaganda'.

The public debate will take place on Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 at 6 pm in Mediacentar, Kolodvorska 3, in Sarajevo.

For more information, please visit our web site www.mediacentar.ba  or contact us via e-mail djana@media.ba or by phone 033.715.840.

Looking forward to see you!

Mediacentar Sarajevo

Media Responsibility for War Crimes is the last in a cycle of public debates organized by Mediacentar during 2009 as part of the program 'Public Debates on Media and Democracy'. The program of public lectures and debates is supported by the Office of Public Affairs of the US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.