Tribute paid to victims of 1999 NATO air strike on RTS

The air strike hit an antenna array right next to the building which housed studios and editing rooms 26 years earlier at 2:06 am on the night of April 22-23 1999. The monument titled Why (Zasto in Serbia) stands in the park just above the building that was hit by the missile.

The RTS said on its web portal that the state TV staff who died included journalists, video editors, security guards and others. President Aleksandar Vucic’s mother Angelina was in the building that night and is reported to have narrowly avoided being in the part of the building that was hit – Vucic was Yugoslav federal Information Minister at the time. There were rumors that the authorities were warned of the air strike but did nothing. The RTS CEO at the time, Dragoljub Milanovic, was sentenced to 10 years in jail for failing to protect his staff by relocating them.

The RTS claims that this was the first instance of a media outlet being bombed in wartime after being declared a legitimate target. According to Human Rights Watch, foreign journalists were warned of the coming air strike several days earlier.

The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS), the RTS Branch Union and Union of Journalists of Serbia (SINOS) said that NATO committed a war crime which none of its officials were held accountable for.

The pro-regime Tanjug agency said this was the first time the memorial gathering was not carried live on the RTS and blamed the student blockade. The students protesting at the RTS headquarters made sure to make none of the customary noise or play music all day Tuesday and called the public to lay flowers in tribute to the victims of the NATO air strike at the monument.