Other threats to journalists, Jurica Gašpar, 11.3.2023.

CJA •︎ 13/03/2023

Other threats to journalists, Jurica Gašpar, 11.3.2023.

Translations: Zagreb 

  • Case info

  • Personal info

  • Regional center
    Zagreb
  • Who was attacked?
    Journalist
  • Gender
    Male
  • Victim(s) name
    Jurica Gašpar

  • Media outlet

  • Name of the media outlet
    Morski.hr
  • Type of media platform
    Online Media
  • Source of information about the incident
    https://www.morski.hr/nemojte-pisat-o-nasim-brodovima-unistit-cemo-vam-posao-i-sve/

  • Incident Data

  • Date of incident
    17.03.2023
  • Perpetrator(s)
    Known (suspected)
  • Attacked by
    Public person(s)
  • Means of incidents and attacks
    Telephone (Call or sms)
  • Type of incident
    Other threats to journalists
  • Type of threat
    Aggressive, harassing or discriminatory statements

  • Action by the authorities

  • Police action
    The police submitted the case to the State Attorney's Office.
  • Public prosecutor's action
    The file is in the office of the State Attorney's Office in Split.
  • Legal status of the case
    The procedure is in the phase of gathering information about all the circumstances of the case
  • Type of violation
    Security threat

  • Action taken by the journalists' association

  • Was journalist's association informed by the journalists directly?
    Yes
  • What was the reaction of the journalists' association?
    The association reacted publicly

Threats were sent to the editors of the Morski.hr portal, which, due to a series of articles in which the portal discusses the legality of the construction of the port of Krilo Jesenice, were sent by a man who presents himself as the president of the Association of Tourist Shipmen of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Ante Rakuljić, threatening the author of the article and editor-in-chief Jurica Gašpar.

In the series, it is stated, among other things, that the port was created without a construction permit and by completely illegal dumping of garbage into the sea, and that 130 ships were docked there without a safety plan.

Rakuljić called the editorial office, insulted the editorial office and its journalists, and claimed that the articles published on the portal were paid for or written by people outside the editorial office close to the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure. Despite being warned that the conversation was being recorded, he made serious threats that he would “destroy their business”, and repeatedly suggested to Gašpar that they should not write about Kril Jesenice and the boatmen there in a negative context.

He also told the editors that “it’s better to be good with a lot of people who have proven something in life” and that “the fate of the Adriatic cannot be shaped in Zagreb”, repeatedly repeating that “someone with a Zagreb accent cannot write about marine topics”.