YUGOSLAVIA: TWO BRITONS HELD IN BELGRADE ON SUSPICION OF TERRORISM DENY BRITISH NEWSPAPER CLAIMS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TORTURED

Record ID: 647452

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA: TWO BRITONS HELD IN BELGRADE ON SUSPICION OF TERRORISM DENY BRITISH NEWSPAPER CLAIMS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TORTURED
  • Date: 21st August 2000
  • Summary: BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA (AUGUST 21, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WS: SUPREME MILITARY COURT 0.05 2. CU/MV: SIGN ON THE WALL READING (IN SERBIAN) SUPREME MILITARY PROSECUTOR (2 SHOTS) 0.15 3. SV: BRITISH DIPLOMAT ROBERT GORDON AND DJORDJE DJURISIC, A LAWYER OF THE BRITONS, LEAVING THE SUPREME MILITARY COURT IN BELGRADE 0.22 4. CU: SOUNDBITE (English) DJORDJE DJURISIC SAYING: "They confirmed they had been interviewed, they are dissatisfied with the way the thing has been presented. They say that the article and the journalist carried it a little bit too far. When you read it, and I have read it, they in fact have been referring, if they referred to anything, to the part of the detention time from their apprehension to Podgorica where they have been taken over by the judiciary. 0.59 5. SV: ANGELA BOGDAN, CHARGE D'AFFAIRS OF THE CANADIAN EMBASSY LEAVING THE SUPREME MILITARY COURT IN BELGRADE WITH IVAN JANKOVIC, LAWYER OF THE CANADIANS 1.08 6. CU: SOUNDBITE (English) ANGELA BOGDAN SAYING: "We were given the opportunity to ask them bluntly about their treatment - the judge has very much facilitated this exchange - and again they reiterated what we knew before, that yes, they had been roughed up. They of course, had not seen the article, so could not comment. They again reiterated that they have been exceptionally well treated here. We have asked for the official explanation however, of the events which will be forthcoming." 1.38 7. MV: ANGELA BOGDAN LEAVING 1.42 8. SV: SUPREME MILITARY COURT 1.47 9. CU: SOUNDBITE (English) IVAN JANKOVIC, LAWYER OF THE CANADIANS, SAYING: "They both confirmed to me today that it was not anything that they would describe as torture, and I was not intending and I do not intend to play it up, firstly because I am afraid that it could create a lot of stress for their families. Luckily today they both, just now, talked to their families and reasured them concerning these allegations of torture." 2.23 10. WIDE OF SUPREME MILITARY COURT 2.28 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 5th September 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Reuters ID: LVA7DEXY95F1WFO8FJBX05EGUAX3
  • Story Text: Two British policemen held in Yugoslavia on suspicion
    of terrorism have told their lawyer that British newspaper
    reports that they had been tortured and beaten had been
    exaggerated .



    Two British newspapers -- the Mail on Sunday and the
    Sunday Times -- had reported on Sunday (August 20) that the
    two Britons, Adrian Prangnell and John Yore, said they were
    punched, stamped on and slapped while in custody.

    The Britons' lawyer Djordje Djurisic said on Monday
    (August 21) that he had spoken to the detainees and that they
    were dissatisfied with the way the article had been presented.

    "They say that the article and the journalist carried it a
    little bit too far", he said.

    Angela Bogdan, Canada's charge d'affaires in Belgrade said
    after visiting two of her nationals arrested at the same time
    as the Britons, that they had been "roughed up" during the
    first few days of detention in Montenegro but that they were
    now being treated well.

    The four detainees, arrested in the border area between
    Kosovo and Montenegro three weeks ago, are being held in a
    Belgrade military court pending a decision on whether to put
    them on trial.

    In its report, the Sunday Times quoted Yore as telling a
    military source "I thought they were going to eat us."
    It said loaded guns had been pointed at the policemen, who
    also were exposed to jeering crowds of Serbs after their
    arrest.

    The Mail said the men had been subjected to violence and
    sleep deprivation in an attempt to extract confessions.

    The Yugoslav army has said it will press terrorism charges
    against the detainees. They have not yet been officially
    charged.

    Britain has called the case against the Britons as absurd,
    and on Thursday urged Belgrade to either charge or free them.




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