Matic to Judges' Association: Public must be informed

The Association announced on Monday that Matic in this way influenced the Trial Chamber in the process for murder of journalist Slavko Curuvija.

Matic: We respect the independence of the court, but we will not bury our head in the sand when it's clear to everyone what's going on.

The Association said, according to Beta, that the statement of the president of the Commission for Investigating Murders of Journalists Veran Matic about the manner in which the Trial Chamber is conducting the case of the murder of journalist Slavko Curuvija, violates the presumption of innocence and unlawfully influences the court.

It responded to an interview given by Matic to Cenzolovka, when he said that he "had the impression that the Trial Chamber with some of its decisions shows a clear intention to release those accused of murdering Curuvija."

The Judges' Association of Serbia assessed that this statement violates the presumption of innocence as it has been made during the court proceedings.

On this occasion, Matic said in a statement to the public that "judges are not exempt from the public's right to be informed."

"They are not a special caste that nobody can object to for any reason. On the contrary, their photographs and property which they own should be made public, and it's up to them to work according to the law. The Commission for Investigating Murders of Journalists has not interfered in the independence of the prosecution and of the court, but it will surely not bury its head in the sand in situations where it is clear to everyone what is happening," said Matic, and expressed his hope that the Judges Association will "find the strength to, in its ranks, separate the wheat from the chaff and point out to those...