Journalist Siniša Vuković, a contributor to the weekly newspaper Novosti, was verbally and physically attacked by an unidentified man on the Split waterfront (Riva) at around 4 p.m. on 7 May. According to Novosti, the attacker insulted and threatened Vuković because of his journalistic work and his perceived political views.
The incident occurred on the day when Split celebrated the feast of its patron saint, Saint Domnius (Sveti Duje). Vuković was walking along the crowded waterfront with his wife, where concerts and other festivities were taking place.
Near Hrvoje’s Tower, they were approached by a middle-aged man who began shouting that Vuković “writes for the Chetnik Novosti” and for “Slobodanka” (referring to Slobodna Dalmacija), accusing him of writing about Jasenovac, before shouting, “Fuck Tito.”
Vuković said he initially moved away, believing the incident would end with verbal abuse similar to insults he had previously experienced. However, the man continued swearing at him before running to nearby market stalls, grabbing a hoe, raising it above his head and charging towards him.
Vuković fled through the crowded waterfront, which was full of families and children. The attacker eventually gave up the chase. Shortly afterwards, Vuković contacted the police.
Later that day, he was invited to give an official statement. Police informed him that criminal proceedings would be initiated ex officio because the incident involved an attack on a journalist and that the case would be handled under an expedited procedure. Officers also told him that they had recovered surveillance footage from nearby security cameras and expected to identify the suspect soon.
Siniša Vuković has contributed to Novosti since 2023, primarily covering cultural affairs.
The attack came amid a series of incidents targeting journalists. One day earlier, during the official commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the protest outside the Banovina government building in Split, war veteran Ivica Balić publicly threatened and insulted Novosti columnist Boris Dežulović in the presence of local and national officials.
Two days before the attack on Vuković, a Nova TV reporting team was assaulted while covering an illegally constructed cemetery in Marina, near Trogir. Among approximately fifteen individuals involved in that attack was the Municipality of Marina’s mayor, Ante Mamut of the HDZ.
Responding to the attack on the Nova TV crew, the Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) noted that 30 cases of threats, verbal abuse and physical attacks against journalists had been recorded during the previous year.