The County Court in Karlovac has ruled that a married couple will be held in investigative custody for 30 days after attacking a news crew filming a report on environmental destruction along the banks of the Una River. Z.M. (65) and N.H.M. (54) remain behind bars due to flight risk. If they wish to be released, they must each post €15,000 in bail, reports 24sata.hr.
There is no risk of repeat offense, according to the investigative judge at the County Court in Karlovac, where the couple was brought after being arrested for assaulting Provjereno journalist Danka Derifaj and cameraman Miroslav Bokan.
To recall, Derifaj and Bokan were on location filming a story about years-long environmental degradation along the Una River — an issue ignored by institutions for years. The crew had been invited by concerned locals. The area in question is home to one of Europe’s most beautiful waterfalls, Štrbački buk, where the couple had illegally occupied public land — pouring concrete, demolishing rock formations, installing light poles, and charging entrance fees to visitors.
The pair were filming in a parking lot when a barrage of insults began, followed by a physical attack in which N.H.M. slapped Derifaj.
“I’m ready for anything, but I was worried about how far it would go because they were violent toward the cameraman, who had all the equipment, the camera… We defended each other,” Derifaj recounted.
She also claimed that the police officers who responded were unaware of the Protocol on Procedures in Cases of Attacks on Journalists, which defines attacks on journalists as criminal acts. The court, however, did recognize the severity of the case and ordered the couple into custody. It remains to be seen whether the authorities will finally act to stop the ongoing destruction of Croatia’s natural heritage.
More at 24sata.hr.