The new Serbian Ambassador, served as the dictator

is received when the new Ambassador? "We'd like to know," replies the man on the phone of the Serbian Mission in Bern. The date is still uncertain, the Name is known: Goran Bradic is the man who is represented in the future, the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland.

no one who knows Bradic personally – and to the author of this article belongs to – would question the qualification: The middle of 50-Year-old studied philosophy, speaks perfect English, has decades of diplomatic experience, knows the media and politics of the German-speaking countries. Only today's perspective, Bradic would be an asset to the diplomatic life in Bern.

Will represent Serbian interests in Bern: Goran Bradic. Photo: PD

but There is also an other, dark side of the future Ambassador. And those journalists that reported as the author of a good twenty years ago about the wars in the Balkans primarily. At the time, Goran Bradic was as a loyal follower of the dictator Slobodan Milošević, known and feared. As a press attaché at the Yugoslav Embassy in Vienna, he had a big influence on who was allowed to work in Yugoslavia, and to whom the visa was denied. In his office at the Vienna address Rennweg 3 (where the old Prince Metternich to the beginning of the Balkans) ended suspected some of the journalistic mission before it had even begun.

punishment for critical reports

That was the end of the 90s, when Yugoslavia, only Serbia and Montenegro existed, and President Milošević with the use of military and paramilitary groups, the elimination of the majority of Albanian-inhabited province of Kosovo wanted to prevent. International media reported from the massacres of Albanian civilians and the destruction of entire villages in Kosovo, was not the Regime right, of course.

Vienna was at the time, from Belgrade's perspective, it is particularly important, because it is here that international organizations were sitting, and many of the correspondents of major international media were stationed. Therefore, Milošević sent a particularly reliable staff here. Yugoslav Ambassador to be party friend Radoš Smiljkovic, the raves of the "extraordinary Size" of 2006 in captivity deceased dictator. The media work of the former correspondent of the state news Agency Tanjug, Goran Bradic took over. And he knew exactly what to expect Belgrade of him.

"Why do you say dictator?"

When journalists came to him to the office to Visa submit applications, then their previously written articles on the Kosovo conflict, or of Slobodan Milošević, on the table were there most of the time. Bradic had marked in his eyes, incorrect passages with red light pen, pointed to the underlined lines, shook his head: "How can you refer to our President as a dictator?" Or: "Why do you write about the oppression of the Albanians, but the Serbs?"

endless lectures about Kosovo as the cradle of the Serbian Nation and the Suffering of the Serbs followed. A lot of Red in the Text meant no visa. Former colleagues remember unpleasant encounters with Bradic and his complaints to editors-in-Chief about the allegedly one-sided coverage. In Belgrade, a black list of unwanted journalists circulated.

Personally, Bradic never refused a visa. He shoved the responsibility on to his superiors: "Unfortunately, I have no answer from Belgrade." The affected journalists was nonetheless clear that his word weight. They knew of colleagues in other countries, that the mood was there at the Yugoslav embassies much friendlier and a visa easier.

the complacency of the fun for Handke

The message is not punished but only. You could also reward: The writer Peter Handke has received in Vienna a Yugoslav passport issued at that time, as a Bradi? working there was. Handke speaks of a "Courtesy pass", which should facilitate his research trips to Yugoslavia (read more about it here). The majority of the Vienna-stationed Balkan correspondents could only dream of such research trips only.

What is Goran Bradic says today to his former activity? He repents of his Loyalty to Milošević? The disability of the reporting? What he knew about the passport for Peter Handke? This newspaper was sent to the future Ambassador is a list of questions. Bradic answered that he could not answer, as long as he was not accredited in Switzerland as Ambassador. These are the Protocol rules. The EDA replies that Switzerland will forbid foreign diplomats to speak with the media.

"As a soldier, he carried out the orders of the respective commanders."Dragan Velikic, writer

In October 2000, was toppled the Regime of Milošević, half a year later, the dictator of the Tribunal in The Hague. In Vienna, Goran Bradic had to acknowledge the diplomatic service. But not for long. A few years later, he was back, and he's owed, of all things, a well-known critic of the Milošević regime, the writer Dragan Velikic.

in Order to improve their Image abroad, sent the new Belgrade government Velikic as Ambassador to Vienna. Just had no diplomatic experience and needed someone with knowledge of German on his side: "I already knew that Bradic had served under Milošević," says Velikic today, "but he showed a sense of responsibility, he knew all the media, he knew what's going on. As a soldier he carried out the orders of the respective commanders."

of Course, Bradic also showed at the time, soon his other, nationalist, side. He lectured about Kosovo, about the oppression of the Serbs and destruction of Serbian cultural heritage. He gave Interviews, and distributed propaganda leaflets. If you listened to his lectures, one could get the impression that the expulsion of the Kosovo Albanians and the Terror of Serbian paramilitaries, have never taken place.

"Milošević-Revival" in Serbia

In Serbia today, many of Miloševics former comrades-in-arms back at the helm. The current head of government, Alexander Vucic, after the end of the 90s, as the Minister of information, critical journalists and ban foreign TV channels. The current Minister of foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic was in the 90s, the press spokesman of Miloševics socialist party SPS.

The Serbian human rights activist Sonja Biserko speaks therefore of a "true Milošević-Revival": the war criminals were hailed as heroes, independent media were again under strong pressure. That Goran Bradic rises under this government to the Ambassador for his former supervisor Dragan Velikic "a certain logic".

Weiss, the EDA of Bradics past? The accreditation process is secret, the response of the media office: on The political past of the new heads of Mission could therefore not be taken position. The Serbian foreign Ministry did not respond to requests by this newspaper at all.

As Goran Bradic of the language many years ago, with the media, he assured me that he had not been with Milošević agreement and its criticism in Belgrade have deposited. In Vienna, however, "I served my state".

in Those years in which he served Slobodan Milošević, they do not appear in Bradics profile in the career network Linkedin.

Created: 19.11.2019, 06:40 PM