The Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA), not only as a professional association but also as socially responsible individuals, asks how this state upholds the Constitution and how it protects its citizens when it comes to their rights to freedom of expression, as well as the right to a safe and healthy life. We are also interested in whether the Government intends to take any concrete action regarding the surge of brutality and radicalism that has been ongoing for months, before someone is seriously harmed.
We inform the public and the Government of the Republic of Croatia that, following the broadcast of the film “Peacemaker” on Croatian Radiotelevision last week, calls for retaliation against its authors emerged. In a Facebook post by Branimir Glavaš, a non-finally convicted war criminal (who has appealed the verdict), in which the name of Hrvoje Zovko — President of the Croatian Journalists’ Association and co-screenwriter of the film “Peacemaker” — was mentioned directly and unambiguously, a large number of insulting and threatening comments and messages targeting Zovko were recorded. In the disputed post, Glavaš expressed regret that during Croatia’s democratic transition there was no scenario similar to that in Bucharest, alluding to the 1989 change of the Romanian government — by execution.
Furthermore, Croatian Radiotelevision, that is, the public media space, in a programme hosted and edited by Petar Vlahov which aired after the film, was once again used to put a target on the backs of the authors of “Peacemaker,” including, alongside Zovko, one of Croatia’s most respected journalists, publicists and writers, the multi-award-winning Drago Hedl, who is also the Vice-President of the CJA.
This time, it is not only a matter of the threatened right to freedom of thought and expression, but also the right to life of individuals whose liquidation is being called for by name.
The threats have been reported, but we — not only as a professional association, but also as socially responsible individuals — ask how this state upholds the Constitution and protects its citizens when their rights to freedom of expression and to a safe and healthy life are at stake. We are also interested in whether the Government intends to take any concrete action regarding the surge of brutality and radicalism that has been ongoing for months, before someone is seriously harmed.
For the Executive Board of the Croatian Journalists’ Association,
Chiara Bilić, Vice-President of the CJA