(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan, RSF expressed its surprise about the harshness of recent rulings against the satirical weekly “Feral Tribune”. The organisation believes that the heavy fines imposed against the weekly may threaten its very survival. “The ‘Feral Tribune’, which has always been very critical of the authorities, […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan, RSF expressed its surprise about the harshness of recent rulings against the satirical weekly “Feral Tribune”. The organisation believes that the heavy fines imposed against the weekly may threaten its very survival.
“The ‘Feral Tribune’, which has always been very critical of the authorities, had never before been sentenced to such heavy fines. These sentences for articles published more than five years ago dash hopes for greater freedom of expression in Croatia in the post-Tudjman era,” stated Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general. “We ask that you do everything in your power that will allow the ‘Feral Tribune’ to continue exercising its right to inform and also that you see to it that the attacks by the former president’s entourage against media outlets are no longer permitted,” added Ménard.
According to information collected by RSF, the satirical weekly “Feral Tribune”‘s bank account was frozen on 1 March 2002 following the Zagreb Regional Court’s sentencing of the weekly to fines amounting to 200,000 kuna (approx. US$23,900; 27,183 euros). The newspaper was sentenced for “moral damage” and publishing “cosmopolitan opinions and views”. The freezing of the “Feral Tribune”‘s bank account and heavy fines against it threaten its ability to continue publishing. The first sentence is based on a 1995 article by art historian Zvonko Makovic, in which he analysed Marica Mestrovic’s incompetence in her management of the Mestrovic Foundation. While the author’s analysis was considered an acceptable form of public criticism, the magazine was heavily fined for publishing his article. The second sentence against the weekly is based on a 1993 article by Viktor Ivancic, who criticised anti-Semitic and pro-fascist remarks by Zeljko Olujic, an attorney with close ties to former president Franjo Tudjman. Olujic is representing Mestrovic. The court upheld the verdict from the first trial, which found Ivancic guilty of having expressed “cosmopolitan opinions and views” and sentenced “Feral Tribune” to pay Olujic substantial damages and interest. RSF notes that the term “cosmopolitan opinions and views” is unknown to the Croatian lawyers questioned by the organisation, and is surprised that it may justify a sentence.
In an interview with RSF, “Feral Tribune” assistant editor-in-chief Predrag Lucic explained that even though his newspaper had appealed the two rulings passed in October 2001, its bank account was ordered blocked before the appeals could be heard in court. “Feral Tribune” plans to republish the incriminating articles in its next edition.
RSF recalls that the Constitutional Court ruled in May 2000 that the penal code article under which the prosecution of the former president’s opponents was made possible was unconstitutional. The clauses relating to insults, defamation, access to information, protection of state and military secrets and the intelligence agencies’ surveillance activities continue to present obstacles to journalists’ working conditions in Croatia.
