SERBIAN AUTHORITIES ISSUE ORDER BANNING SOME MEDIA

BELGRADE, March 18 (Hina) - The Serbian Culture Ministry on Tuesday banned the distribution of Podgorica's daily "Dan" and Belgrade's daily "Nacional". It also fined the publisher, the editor-in-chief and the author of an article in Belgrade's "Vecernje novosti" daily. #L# "Vecernje novosti" has been fined because of a text headlined "Small Village - Big Rat", an "affirmative article" about one of the arrested leaders of the so-called Zemun Clan, and the headline "Is Legija Stronger Than the Serbian Government?". Nacional, whose employees were today ordered by some 15 police to leave the premises, has been banned until the state of emergency in the country ends, Radio B92 reported Tuesday. The decision banning the distribution of "Vecernje novosti" and imposing fines on the paper was made in line with the Order on a State of Emergency which acting Serbian President Natasa Micic signed on March 12, on the day Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic was assassinated. According to the order, the media are allowed to issue only official statements by competent institutions. The Culture Ministry on Monday forbade the issuing of the "Identitet" magazine -- whose official owner is allegedly Milorad Lukovic Legija, the prime suspect in organising Djindjic's assassination -- and the work of Valjevo's "Mars" TV station. (hina) lml sb