(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is greatly troubled by the burgeoning number of libel convictions and further harassment of independent newspapers in Croatia. **Updates IFEX alert of 24 November 1998. ** There are currently almost 300 criminal proceedings against journalists, and more than 600 civil law suits against newspapers. In both cases, the majority of plaintiffs are […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is greatly troubled by the burgeoning number of libel
convictions and further harassment of independent newspapers in Croatia.
**Updates IFEX alert of 24 November 1998. **
There are currently almost 300 criminal proceedings against journalists, and
more than 600 civil law suits against newspapers. In both cases, the
majority of plaintiffs are state officials and others closely associated
with the ruling party. Over two-thirds of these civil suits have been
brought against the independent newspapers “Globus”, “Nacional”, “Feral
Tribune”, and “Novi List”. In particular:
“Nacional” currently faces 114 criminal and civil suits, 80 of which are
directed against the editor, Ivo Pukanic. The awards requested in these
civil lawsuits amount to over $5 million. Just last week, a court ruled
against the weekly in three cases totaling US$150,000 in so-called moral
damages.
“Feral Tribune” now faces more than 70 lawsuits, of which 20 are criminal
cases against the editor and journalists. The total sum demanded in these
cases is approximately US$2.7 million. In October, the Split-based satirical
weekly lost three cases for a total of US$72,000. In each of those cases,
the plaintiffs were judges from the Croatian judicial system. Just last
week, the journalists were ordered by a court to pay US$18,000 in another
civil case filed by the former editor of a state-owned political weekly.
“Globus” faces 110 civil suits, mostly filed by government officials, asking
for approximately US$15 million in damages. The editor and staff of the
Zagreb-based
weekly also face 30 additional criminal suits.
Another issue of concern is the dominant role of Tisak, the country’s
state-owned distributor, which controls the sale of about 70 percent of all
newspapers, and also controls several other money-losing enterprises. The
cash-strapped Tisak has withheld payments from several independent
newspapers, including “Nacional”, “The Feral Tribune”, and “Globus”.
“Nacional” alone hasn’t been payed in two months and, according to the
editor, is currently owed more than US$500,000 by Tisak. As a result, these
newspapers are unable to pay their journalists or their printers, and may be
forced to shut down operations. Meanwhile, Tisak has continued to make
regular payments to the state-owned newspaper “Vjesnik”. The editors of the
independent papers believe the company’s discrimination against them is
politically-motivated.
Finally, CPJ is deeply disturbed to learn that journalists from the
independent media have been under surveillance by the secret service for
several years. Hrvoje Sarinic, President Franjo Tudjman’s former chief of
staff, revealed that secret police have collected and compiled extensive
dossiers on their activities, by wire-tapping and other means. Pukanic, the
editor of “Nacional”, and Georgitsa Klantir, the editor of “Globus”, have
seen their files, as well as the files of other journalists, which contain
very detailed information about their private lives.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the President:
against these newspapers as a concerted attempt to sanction and silence them
for simply practicing their profession. These trials violate Croatia’s
international obligations to ensure that all news media may work freely and
safely
against “Nacional”, “The Feral Tribune”, “Globus”, and “Novi List” are
dropped, and to consider the repeal of all criminal libel statutes in the
penal code
withholding
of payments to independent newspapers, and to encourage the expansion of
independent distribution networks
state security services
Appeals To
His Excellency Franjo Tudjman
President of Croatia
Fax: +385 1 456 5208
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
