A young journalist from Zadarski list, Toni Perinic, received threats on August 9, 2022, after investigating a case of tourist fraud on which the Tourist Board received at least 30 complaints.
Searching the internet, Perinic came across the confessions of people who complain about a renter from Privlaka (Zadar County) who takes an advance payment of HRK 500 for an apartment she rents and the day before the agreed vacation date, cancels it for various reasons. Perinić went to Privlaka yesterday to take some illustrative photos for the purposes of the article. When he returned home, his father was called by M.L. who introduced himself as the renter’s father. As he himself stated, he photographed the car in which the journalist went to Privlaka and found out the phone number of the owner of the car, which is the journalist’s father.
During the call M.L. made many threats, one of which was “be careful what you write because what you write will cost you”.
The journalist says that he felt fear for his life and pressure to work. He reported the case to the Zadar police. He is also concerned about how M.L. in a short time got the number of his father, the owner of the car.
“The Croatian Journalists’ Association strongly condemns the threats that our colleague Toni Perinic received, and we fully support him. This case is another indicator of the atmosphere in which our colleagues in the local media work. We also welcome the quick reaction of the police and expect the prosecution of persons who threaten journalists” – said Hrvoje Zovko, president of the Croatian Journalists’ Association.
The SafeJournalists network joins its partner organization the Croatian Journalists’ Association in condemning the threats which Toni Perinić received and calls on the competent institutions in Croatia to sanction M.L. as soon as possible. We also call on the authorities to find out how the personal data of the journalist’s father leaked and to impose adequate consequences on those responsible.
SafeJournalists Network will inform relevant national and international stakeholders about this case.
Each attack on journalists is an attack on public interest, democracy and rights of all citizens.
Pristina – Skopje – Sarajevo – Zagreb – Belgrade – Podgorica, August 10, 2022
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
BH Journalists Association
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Independent Journalists Association of Serbia
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro