Serbia: Journalist sued by ruling party officials to go to jail

Journalist Stefan Cvetkovic has been found guilty and sentenced to a total of 27 months in prison in a first instance ruling.

He was sued privately by three officials of the ruling Serb Progressive Party (SNS) in Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina.

Cvetkovic will also have to pay a fine of RSD 2.15 million, according to three separate judgments which Beta agency said it had access to.

The case was handled by the Basic Court in Vrsac, with Judge Cveta Kajevic-Grubisic in charge of all three cases.

Criminal complaints were filed against Cvetkovic by SNS coordinator for Southern Banat Branko Malovic, President of the Municipality of Alibunar Predrag Belic, and SNS official Dejan Simeunovic. They accused Cvetkovic of "insults and unauthorized publication and presentation of somebody else's writings, portraits and recordings."

"The fact is that a...