Commemoration for victims of NATO bombing at RTS

A traditional commemoration for the Serbian state TV (RTS) staff killed in a 1999 NATO air strike was held at 2.06 AM in Belgrade on Tuesday.

Families, co-workers and friends gathered in front of the WHY (ZASTO in Serbian) monument in the park outside the RTS headquarters at the time of the air strike which killed 16 staff members.

Then RTS CEO Dragoljub Milanovic was sentenced to jail time for failing to evacuate the building amid claims that the authorities had been warned that the building would be bombed. None of the people killed in the air strike which targeted an antenna array in front of building were editorial staff, most of them were video technicians, make up staff, electricians.

Last night’s gathering was attended by RTS chiefs, 3 cabinet ministers and city administration officials as well as both major journalists organizations (NUNS and UNS).

The missile struck the building during the 2:00 am news and was the first time that a media outlet was targeted after being declared a propaganda outlet for the Milosevic regime and a legitimate military target.