ZAGREB, 28.04.2018 – Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) condemns decision of MS Jadranka Joksimović, Minister in the Government of Republic of Serbia, to refuse to give statement for Croatian media after meeting of high representatives of South Eastern Europe at Brdo, near Kranj, on April 25, 2018.
Hrvoje Krešić, N1 journalist, confirmed to the CJA that MS Jadranka Joksimović, Minister in the Serbian Government, refused to give statement to Croatian journalists. Soon after that she gave statement to Serbian journalists. When asked for reason of that action, the Minister answered she could choose whom to give the statement, and she would, as she said to Hrvoje Krešić, give it to journalists she had brought to Brdo, near Kranj. Information given to the CJA by Hrvoje Krešić has been confirmed by audio recording.
After that outrageous statement of MS Joksimović, Minister of European integration in the Serbian Government, her Office issued equally outrageous explanation – it said that her behavior was provoked by Croatian journalists who behaved uncivilized and offended hr.
Although there was no proof about it, MS Joksimović repeated that for Belgrade TV B92: „It is evident that the point of that behavior of Croatian journalists was to provoke me. They were full of negative charge, they intercepted me, shouted, …“
Due to the position they currently hold neither Serbian Minister of European integrations, Serbian Prime Minister Vučić, Slovenian Prime Minister Pahor nor Croatian politicians, whose behavior has been reason for many CJA’s reactions, have any right to separate journalists to „their journalists“ and „our journalists“ and to find journalists’ questions to be „appropriate“ and „inappropriate“.
Political position is not to be alibi for spreading lies about journalists’ actions.