August 15, 2017
Adria Media Group (AMG), one of the largest media publishing companies in Serbia, and its president, Aleksandar Rodić, has filed “hundreds of lawsuits for the brutal repression and unprecedented campaigns” to which they have been subjected, according to a statement released by the group. At the same time, they announced the closure of magazine Newsweek due to the “witch-hunt” against them, as well as the economic pressures they face, due to which, they claim, they are no longer able to pay for the license for the U.S. magazine.
AMG is mainly suing pro-government media outlets and certain state organs, as well as Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, which they accuse of “stating lies and libel that has led to the defamation of the reputation, honour and personality of Aleksandar Rodić,” AMG president.
This group is best known in Serbia for the high-circulating tabloid newspaper Kurir, which in past years mainly supported Vučić, the most powerful politician in the country, but encountered problems when it recently began publishing articles critical of him.
Shortly afterwards, all bank accounts of the AMG group were blocked by the Tax Administration despite, as Aleksandar Rodić claims, AMG having no tax debts towards the state. The Tax Administration did not answer media questions about whether this debt exists and how much it is, citing data confidentiality.
Photo: cenzolovka.rs
