The Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) demands that state institutions and the highest representatives of the state respond promptly, firmly, and unambiguously to the life-threatening attack suffered by colleague Melita Vrsaljko yesterday in her home. Vrsaljko, an award-winning journalist from Faktograf and the Climate Portal, endured this attack.
Iva Perić, daughter of Ivan Vrsaljko, who had physically attacked our colleague the day before, barged into Vrsaljko’s house in Nadine near Benkovac. She began to drag Vrsaljko by the hair and attempted to choke her, demanding that she delete recordings showing her father physically assaulting a journalist. The incident occurred while Vrsaljko and a cameraman were passing by his property, which had begun to accumulate waste. Perić threatened violence and equipment destruction, claiming her father was a veteran who fought in the war. According to Vrsaljko, she was forced to kick the attacker in self-defense and called the police. However, instead of acting according to the Criminal Code, which treats attacks on journalists as criminal acts against individuals performing a public interest job, the police charged the journalist with disturbing public order and peace, which is unacceptable to the CJA.
Vrsaljko posted a brief video of the attack on her Instagram profile the same day. The following day, she was forced to fight for her life and bite her attacker to prevent being choked. For the CJA, this constitutes an attempted murder. According to information available to the CJA, the police have detained the attacker.
The CJA believes this case dramatically highlights the conditions under which journalists and all media workers operate, who are daily exposed to numerous verbal and even physical attacks, particularly in small communities where the collusion between institutions and local power holders is evident.
The CJA fully supports colleague Melita Vrsaljko and will report this case to the SafeJournalists network and all other international partner organizations and European institutions.
For attacks on journalists, the law provides for imprisonment of up to three years, and up to five years if the victim is injured.
The state should send a clear message that such treatment of journalists simply for doing their job will not be tolerated. Finally, the CJA and the Trade Union of Croatian Journalists have signed special protocols with the Ministry of the Interior, obliging the police to act swiftly and decisively in response to any attack or threat against journalists to ensure their protection from such assaults.
For the Executive Board of the CJA
Hrvoje Zovko, President
Chiara Bilić, Vice President
Dragutin Hedl, Vice President