Nadajuci se da ubistvo Slavka Curuvije nema politicku pozadinu, ANEM ne može a da ne podseti da je gospodin Curuvija licno, kao i listovi kojima je bio na celu, bio prva meta progona od strane državnih organa pocev od oktobra 1998. godine, kada je na snagu stupio novi Zakon o javnom informisanju u Srbiji. Naime, vec 24. oktobra 1998, samo tri dana od stupanja na snagu tog Zakona list Evropljanin i gospodin Curuvija bili su kažnjeni po njegovim prekršajnim odredbama sa ukupno 2.400.000 dinara.

Nešto docnije i to u dva navrata - 9. novembra i 9. decembra 1998 - kažnjen je bio i list Dnevni Telegraf, sa ukupno 1.650.000 dinara. Kako finansijsko uništavanje gospodina Curuvije po svemu sudeci nije bilo dovoljno, on je sa svojom dvojicom kolega 8. marta 1999. bio osuden i na bezuslovnu kaznu od pet meseci zatvora. Tu kaznu Slavko Curuvija nikada nece odslužiti jer je danas, 11. aprila 1999 godine, mucki ubijen. A samo nekoliko dana pre njegovog ubistva, u beogradskom listu "Politika Ekspres", objavljen je komentar kojim je izvršen napad na takozvane "narodne izdajnike", u kojem je gospodin Curuvija bio posebno i poimence naglašen. U tom je clanku navedeno da Slavka Curuvije od pocetka agresije "nigde nema u javnosti" ali da mu se "služenje agresoru" nikada nece zaboraviti. Slavko Curuvija se, koliko je ANEM-u poznato, u svim svojim javnim nastupima i kontaktima s brojnim zvanicnicima neumorno zalagao protiv agresije NATO na našu zemlju, upozoravajuci na kobne i nesagledive posledice takvog cina. Na isti nacin ponašao se i pošto je otpocela agresija na Jugoslaviju. Stoga ANEM posebno želi da istakne da ubistvo Slavka Curuvije predstavlja ubistvo dobrog i lojalnog gradanina Srbije i Jugoslavije, koji je sve svoje sposobnosti koristio u skladu s interesima svoje zemlje i svog naroda. Slavko Curuvija nikada nije bio izdajnik svoje zemlje. Izdajnik zemlje je svako onaj ko u najtežim trenucima u novijoj istoriji Jugoslavije izvrši ovakav gnusan zlocin. ANEM zahteva od nadležnih organa da se izvršioci ovog ubistva u najkracem roku uhvate i osude, i da nadležni organi ucine sve u njihovoj moci da se sprece obracuni i podele medu gradanima naše zemlje, makar i samo u periodu trajanja ratnog stanja.

U Beogradu, 11. aprila 1999
Veran Matic, predsednik ANEM-a

ANEM notes that Mr Curuvija's publications and he as a person have been the prime target of a state campaign of persecution, which was launched under the guise of Serbia's draconian October 1998 Information Act. On October 24 1998, only three days after the Act took effect, Mr Curuvija and Evropljanin were ordered by a Belgrade court to pay fines totalling 2,400,000 dinars under the misdemeanour regulations of the Act.

On November 9 and December 9, 1998, Dnevni Telegraf was fined a total of 1,650,000 dinars. As if the financial ruin of Mr Curuvija were not enough, he and two colleagues were each given a five-month suspended prison sentence on March 8, 1999.

Just a couple of days before his murder, Mr Curuvija was referred to by name in an attack on "national traitors" in the state-controlled Belgrade daily "Politika ekspres". This commentary remarked that Mr Curuvija had "vanished from sight" since the beginning of NATO bombing and that his "services for the '[NATO] aggressor would never be forgotten".

To the best of ANEM's knowledge, Mr Curuvija was consistently opposed to NATO's military intervention in Yugoslavia in all his public appearances and contacts, and repeatedly warned of the far-reaching and fatal consequences of such action by NATO. His attitude remained unchanged once the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia began. ANEM emphasises that the murder of Slavko Curuvija was the murder of a good and loyal citizen of Serbia and Yugoslavia who used his skills as a journalist to further the interests of his country and his people.

ANEM demands that the appropriate agencies bring the murderers of Mr Curuvija to justice as soon as possible and do all in their power to prevent divisions and confrontations among the people of this country.

The Association of Independent Electronic Media in Yugoslavia (ANEM)