Serwer: Belgrade’s reaction extreme because of corruption

N1

Balkans expert Daniel Serwer told the Voice of America that the Serbian authorities’ extreme reaction to the letter by members of the US Congress reflects corruption and a lack of media freedom.

If they weren’t corrupt and if there was freedom of the media the reactions would not be that extreme, the Johns Hopkins University professor said.

According to Serwer, the letter is simply an attempt to draw attention to issues that the authors consider important, including the fight against corruption and freedom of the media in Serbia, adding that the letter cannot be considered trivial because of the effort behind it and the fact that it was signed.

The letter to the US president might not have much power behind it but it does have some influence, he said. The State Department is considering possible sanctions linked to corruption or a diplomatic note on media freedom, he said.