he Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) strongly condemns the actions of Member of Parliament Stephen Nikola Bartulica from the Domovinski pokret (DP), who falsely accused colleague Andrej Dimitrijević, a journalist from the Faktograf portal, of harassment in the presence of children simply because he did not like the question he was asked. Bartulica also posted a photograph on social media of the journalist who, according to Bartulica, approached him while his children were in the car. However, Dimitrijević has evidence that Bartulica’s children were not present when he introduced himself as a journalist and asked why Bartulica had not reported the car he drives in his asset declaration. Bartulica himself involved his children in this public call to lynch a journalist.
This is merely the latest in a series of confrontations in Bartulica’s war against journalists, following colleague Ilko Ćimić’s publication of his asset declaration details on the Index portal. These details reveal that Bartulica is concealing a house for which he took out a €300,000 loan, in order to avoid questions about the origin of his wealth. Instead of explaining to the public who is financing him, which he is legally obliged to do as a Member of Parliament, Bartulica attacks journalists, accusing them of “media harassment” while persistently avoiding legitimate questions about whose interests he actually represents in the Parliament, as it is hard to believe he can survive on the income reported in his asset declaration.
Bartulica’s attacks on journalists are also part of a broader pattern of similar attacks from his party colleagues in DP. In a series of assaults on journalists and media, which have intensified with the start of post-election negotiations between the party and HDZ on forming a new government, the latest attack was by DP President Ivan Penava, who again targeted the weekly Novosti, labeling it as a “fraud” living off “our money.”
CJA warns Bartulica, his party colleagues, and all politicians who attempt to evade responsibility by targeting journalists and painting them as enemies, that we hold them accountable for the increasing number of dangerous threats against our colleagues. Publicly spoken words carry responsibility.
On behalf of the Executive Board of the Croatian Journalists’ Association
Hrvoje Zovko, President of CJA
Chiara Bilić, Vice President of CJA
Dragutin Hedl, Vice President of CJA