Municipal Criminal Court in Zagreb has dismissed Mislav Stipić’s lawsuit against two former vice presidents of the Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA), now members of the Executive Board of the CJA, Branko Mijić and Goran Gazdek. The dismissal of the lawsuit, as stated in the Court’s decision, occurred after Stipić withdrew the lawsuit prior to the commencement of the proceedings.

“When the top executives of HRT (Croatian Radiotelevision) withdraw their lawsuits against journalists and the CJA, which has been their favorite sport all these years, then either they feel insecure about the potential loss of the case or someone suggested it to them, wanting to maintain their comfortable positions at Prisavlje. The fact that after Stipić (Gazdek and I, who as vice presidents signed the statement of the CJA) the former CEO of HRT Kazimir Bačić sued us for the same thing indicates a coordinated action. I hope that the trial against the two of us will coincide with the trial of Kazimir Bačić, suspected of giving a 50,000 euro bribe to Mayor Bandić, so that I can follow that process live, just like the cameras of HRT, for the entire Croatia to understand and see to whom HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) and AP (Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar) handed over the management of the public television we pay a monthly subscription for,” commented Branko Mijić on the verdict.

Recall that Mislav Stipić, who still works at HRT, privately sued the vice presidents of the Croatian Journalists’ Association, Branko Mijić and Goran Gazdek, for the criminal offense of defamation.

Stipić sued the two vice presidents of the CJA, represented by lawyer Vanja Jurić, because of an article, or a statement published on March 12, 2021, on the HND portal under the title “Bačić’s persecution of the top officials of the CJA and the Journalists’ Union of Croatia is a new blow to media freedom,” signed by Mijić and Gazdek as vice presidents of the CJA.

In the statement of the CJA, Stipić, who was a prominent figure at the time when Kazimir Bačić, CEO of HRT, was accused of bribery and trading influence, was bothered by the allegations that “the CEO of the state television is obviously a target for elimination for all those who dared to publicly speak out about serious allegations of sexual harassment and mobbing made against the CEO of the Business Unit of HRT, Mislav Stipić, by an employee (and then confirmed by two more people). Bačić tried to cover up the allegations, only to later absolve his close associate Stipić of any guilt like a magnate.”

As Goran Gazdek emphasized in the end, he is pleased that Mr. Stipić finally realized that this case could not be won because there was nothing in their statements and positions that did not correspond to the facts. – This spared himself, and especially us, from unnecessary waste of time in court, which was actually the goal of this classic SLAPP lawsuit, Gazdek concluded.

Hundreds protested in Belgrade today over a court ruling that acquitted four former intelligence officers jailed for the 1999 murder of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) stands in solidarity with the demonstrators gathered to demand an end to impunity. The protest was organised by the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, together with the EFJ affiliates in Serbia (UNS, NUNS, KUM Nezavisnost), NDNV, Media Association, AOM, Local Press and ANEM.

An appeals court ruling published on Friday overturned the 2021 convictions and lengthy jail terms for four intelligence officers. The long long legal process has been marked by dramatic twists.

The court decision has been condemned by opposition politicians, media rights campaigners and journalists’ organisations, including EFJ and IFJ. On Monday, demonstrators waved placards and held banners during a 25-minute silence.

“The verdict and all that is happening around Ćuruvija is a heavy blow and a kind of officialization of the end of justice. We basically entered a zone where we live a kind of perfect crime, about which everything is known, and there is no justice. (… ) With this silence, we relieve our despair. The foundations of these buildings were shaken by silence,” stated Živojin Rakočević, president of the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS).

“This is the message from the state that journalists are not protected. And what other citizens can understand as well is that they themselves are not protected if the journalists aren’t,” said Zeljko Bodrozic, president of the Independent Journalists’ Association (IJAS-NUNS), one of the EFJ affiliates in Serbia.

In 2021, a special court sentenced former secret police chief Radomir Markovic and the head of Belgrade’s intelligence branch Milan Radonjic to 30 years in prison. Two other intelligence officers were handed 20-year sentences. The four were first found guilty in 2019, but that decision was overturned and a retrial ordered.

Slavko Ćuruvija, owner and editor of two leading widely-read independent publications, was shot 13 times in front of his Belgrade home during the NATO bombing campaign launched in response to strongman Slobodan Milosevic‘s crackdown on ethnic Albanians in Kosovo in the late 1990s. His killing came just days after pro-government media outlets had accused him of being a “traitor” and of having called on NATO to bomb Serbia.

“According to the information leaked from the secret police file “Ćuran”, Ćuruvija and his partner were followed by 27 members of the State Security in three shifts until just before his death,” writes journalist Jelena Petković.

Journalists have long been targeted in Serbia. Reporters and editors critical of the authorities have been assaulted and intimidated. President Aleksandar Vucic, who served as information minister under Milosevic, regularly berates reporters during his public addresses.

Source: EFJ

Leadership of the Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) and the Trade Union of Croatian Journalists’ (TUCJ) organized a vigil on Monday in front of the Journalists’ Home and lit candles for journalists killed in Gaza, emphasizing that “journalists and civilians are not wartime targets.” Simultaneously, numerous colleagues lit candles in memory of journalists killed in Gaza in Osijek, Rijeka, Šibenik, Split, and other cities.

In this manner, they joined the action of the International Federation of Journalists, which was simultaneously held in Brussels.

According to current data, as of October 7, 2023, at least 99 journalists have been killed in Gaza. The vast majority are Palestinian journalists, 92 of them. Four Israeli and three Lebanese colleagues also lost their lives while performing their duties, and we mourn their lost lives equally, emphasized representatives of CJA and TUCJ.

“Nearly a hundred people, our colleagues, have been killed since the beginning of the war. We are not silent observers; we know, we see, we listen, and we send our solidarity and support to the people who are fighting in that area to bring the truth to the public,” said Maja Sever, President of the European Federation of Journalists and TUCJ. She also added that journalists and civilians must not be targets and called for a ceasefire, an end to killings, and bloodshed in Gaza.

“With this symbolic act from Zagreb and Croatia, we send a message of solidarity to the families of our slain colleagues who, regardless of nationality and faith, perish every day while performing their duties,” said CJA President Hrvoje Zovko. He also said that journalists in Gaza were deliberately targeted and added that it is difficult to believe they were accidentally killed, given the horrific number of casualties.

Branko Mijić, a member of the CJA Executive Board, said that “a hundred journalists in Gaza were killed, or deliberately eliminated, and their only sin was that they wanted to tell the truth about the genocide being carried out under the guise of fighting terrorism.”

Leadership of CJA and TUCJ lit candles in front of the memorial plaque for cameramen, journalists, and technicians killed in the Homeland War, in memory of the journalists killed in Gaza.

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) supports the demonstration organised today at 2pm in front of the Belgrade Court of Appeal to denounce the outrageous acquittal of the alleged killers of Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija. We call on the Serbian authorities to put an end to impunity in this case.

“The murder of journalist Slavko Curuvija, which was ordered and organised by the state, remains an unpunished crime, 25 years after it was committed and nine years after the start of the trial,” the Slavko Curuvija Foundation said, noting that the Court of Appeal acquitted four members of the State Security Service and that “the judiciary surrendered to force.”

The EFJ strongly condemns the verdict of the Belgrade Court of Appeal, on 2 February. In this decision, all defendants were acquitted, leaving the 1999 murder of Slavko Ćuruvija unresolved. This latest verdict significantly deviates from the two previous first-instance court decisions, which had resulted in extensive prison sentences for the defendants.

“The acquittal of those charged with the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija is a dramatic signal for journalists and media in Serbia, but also for democracy,” said the EFJ President Maja Sever. “This court decision is not only a deliberate violation of the rules of the rule of law, but also an incitement to commit further crimes against journalists.”

Source: EFJ

On December 27, 2023, the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, headed by Mr. Albin Kurti, approved the Draft Law on the Independent Media Commission (IMC).

The legislative proposal – for the first time in the modern history of Kosovo – radically changes the way online media that publish videos (hereafter referred to as online media) are regulated from a system of self-regulation to one of state regulation with a licensing procedure.

The main proposed legal changes are:

1. Online media will be subject to state licensing and control by the Independent Media Commission (IMC).
2. Online media which operate as non-governmental organisations will be forced to open companies to meet licensing requirements.
3. Online media outlets will be forced to register in the Online Media Register which will be managed by the IMC.
4. Online media will have to obtain permission from the IMC in case of change of ownership over 10%.
5. Online media will be subject to a regime of sanctions including potential fines of up to €40,000.
6. The IMC will have 11 members and not seven, as it currently has.
7. The members of the IMC will no longer have staggered mandates of two, three, and four years, but a mandate of four years with the possibility of re-election for another mandate.

We consider that the legislative initiative of the Prime Minister’s Office to control online media through a licensing system is the latest attack on the right to media freedom and pluralism in Kosovo. The state apparatus can easily be used against any online media – especially the most critical media – under the threat of large fines of up to €40,000, which could pose a serious existential threat to any online medium operating in Kosovo. The draft law should be seen as a continuation of the hostile approach of the ruling party “Lëvizja Vetëvendosje” towards the media and journalists and its continuous attempt to control them.

The need to harmonise national legislation with the European Union’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) is being used to justify the introduction of the licensing system. However, for the purposes of this legislative initiative, the directive has been interpreted incorrectly, without taking into account the local context and ignoring the existing self-regulatory body in Kosovo. The EU directive in no way provides for the state to put online media under control through a compulsory licensing process.

In fact, the EU Directive in Article 4A encourages states to use a system of self-regulation. For this reason, in Finland, during the transposition of the AVMSD, the Finnish government and parliament, after taking the local context as a basis and based on Article 4A of the directive, agreed to continue to leave this competence to the media council (the independent self-regulatory body Finnish). In Albania, the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission strongly opposed the same legal proposals that were made by the Albanian government, led by Mr. Edi Rama. In addition, the OSCE standards clearly outline that the registration of online media is not a mandatory procedure at all.

Another consequence will be the weakening of the Press Council of Kosovo which consists of media representatives, while a state administrative body like the IMC, whose members are elected by the ruling party, will be strengthened. Historically, the IMC – with some exceptions – has been composed of people who have acted and continue to act with direct or indirect instructions from political stakeholders or the dominant actors of the private sector.

The government, beyond efforts to control the media, is attempting to extend its control to the IMC institution itself. The decision to increase the number of members from seven to 11 is solely based on the ruling party’s desire for this institution to be filled with more of its supporters. This is also confirmed by the proposal that each member has two mandates, so that those who are appointed during this legislature in the Assembly – and who continue to enjoy the support of the party in power – can be part of the IMC for eight years in total.

We also share the concerns of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK) and Kosovo Press Council about the lack of transparency during the drafting process. The draft law was prepared without meaningful consultation of journalists, media, activists, and other civil society organisations. Only after the completion of the first draft was it presented to a limited group as a completed act. No media legislation should be drafted without the genuine involvement of the media sector.

We ask the Office of the Prime Minister to withdraw the draft law from the Assembly of Kosovo and make the necessary changes in accordance with the standards of the Council of Europe and the OSCE. Legislative changes must be made with genuine involvement of journalists’ organisations, non-governmental organisations, and all interested parties.

Signed: 

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)

European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)

Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS)

Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK)

International Press Institute (IPI)

Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM)

Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM)

BH Journalists Association (BHJA)

Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA)

Center Science and Innovation for Development (SCiDEV)

ARTICLE 19 Europe

The intention of Lex AP has been clear from the very beginning. The law widely opens the door to concealing abuses of the repressive apparatus and abolishes transparency as a mechanism for controlling the work of the police, the State Attorney’s Office, and the courts. Anyone within the investigative system who comes across information about irregularities, which are of public interest, will think twice before sharing them with the media. The state has intimidated them; three years in prison is no joke. Therefore, we demand that the Government withdraws this law of dangerous intentions, as conveyed from the CJA protests at St. Mark’s Square against Lex AP, with the same messages sent from the protest held by the CJA branch in the Split-Dalmatia County in Split in front of the Croatian National Theatre.

Numerous protesters, estimated to be over 500 in Zagreb and around 200 in Split, booed and chanted against AP, also sending messages through banners: “Plenki is a little nervous,” “No source, no political problem,” and “Self claws A Pe!”…

CJA President Hrvoje Zovko presented the protesters’ demand: for the Government to withdraw the law of dangerous intentions and abandon further restrictions on media freedoms, including Article 307.a of the Penal Code, which deals with “unauthorized disclosure of content from investigative or evidentiary actions.”

As one respected colleague stated, “This protest also showed that the journalistic profession is united in the fight for professional rights and the public’s right to information of public interest. It was clearly and loudly said no to the attack of politics on public interest and media freedom.”

“We are proud that CJA has two protests against laws which Andrej Plenković wants to silence critical voices in this super-election year. From Zagreb, we send a warm greeting to our dear colleagues in Split and to everyone who came to support them! Let me be clear. The Croatian Journalists’ Association demands that LEX AP, the law of dangerous intentions, or Article 307.a, be completely rejected! We will not give up on this! Believe me, Mr. Prime Minister, it will be no effort for us to come here again if you do not do it,” emphasized CJA President Zovko, who added that yesterday’s parade with amendments at the last minute was nothing more than a cheap political trick with which Andrej Plenković and the Government of the Republic of Croatia tried to deflect justified criticisms of journalists and all those who care about living in an honest and just society.

“You backed down under pressure from CJA, but your withdrawal has a big and dangerous trap. Regardless of your cosmetic interventions, our colleagues can still be harassed. We are horrified by the fact that, Mr. Prime Minister, you have never refuted us that journalists will not have their phones and laptops confiscated together with all the content in them. Until the determination of what is in the public interest in legal proceedings, our colleagues and whistleblowers will face months of harassment and intimidation,” said Zovko, adding: “Likewise, the State Attorney’s Office can assess whether some information has been released in the public interest. If it fails to do so or does so unprofessionally, no one will prevent it from starting an investigation. If the State Attorney’s Office decides to initiate a procedure, they will call journalists for interviews, try in every way to discover the source that provided them with information, and no one can prevent them from doing so.”

Zovko said that CJA officially sent a letter to the Ministry of Justice and Administration asking them to provide information on which European countries have a solution similar to Article 307.a proposed by the Government, but there was no response.

“Let’s not lie to ourselves; the whole story about the law of dangerous intentions is aimed at silencing the journalistic profession and all brave individuals in the system who want to speak out about numerous illegal actions. We’re sorry, Mr. Prime Minister, but we don’t want to participate in building your cult of personality,” said Zovko, followed by applause, after which there were whistles against AP.

“If whistleblowers are silenced, citizens will never learn about certain criminal acts! Let’s remember the traffic accident of Vukovar-Srijem County Prefect Damir Dekanić a few years ago, where he drunkenly crashed an official car and falsely claimed that it was being driven by his cousin. If information from the investigation couldn’t have been published at that time, it’s questionable whether he would have been arrested with three policemen suspected of helping him fabricate the accident. If nothing could have been disclosed, the public might not have learned that a police officer shot Mihaela Berak and that it wasn’t an unfortunate accident, as the police claim, but an intentional murder from an official firearm, as the State Attorney’s Office believes. Mr. Prime Minister, from this place, I will tell you: people, not legal wording, are the key to the whole story,” emphasized Zovko, adding that the crucial thing is not to introduce this new provision into that legal provision, but the choice of the person who will implement it in practice without any effective oversight.

“And you have already decided who that will be. Well, we don’t agree with that! And finally, Mr. Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia – by hiding in the Parliament behind femicides, behind the victims of heinous crimes, you are trying to protect numerous sheriffs, there are quite a few of them, especially from your party. You are now putting all members of parliament in a position where they must support your infamous law if they want to support the inclusion of femicide as a criminal offense. Otherwise, if they vote against LEX AP, they are also against provisions on femicide. How low and insensitive… It’s hard to go lower than this. History will remember you for this, Mr. AP! It is always important to repeat, not to forget: Andrej Plenković is the Prime Minister with the most journalist protests in his mandate. Andrej Plenković is the Prime Minister who didn’t mind leaks of information and democracy until his initials appeared in the public. He wants to edit news through the courts,” concluded Zovko.

President of the European Federation of Journalists Maja Sever especially praised the engagement of the entire CJA in organizing the protest itself and the fight against LEX AP. She added that neither she nor everyone present found it burdensome, and the retreat of AP and its lackeys did not discourage journalists and citizens from gathering and protesting against the law of dangerous intentions.

We are particularly bothered by the arrogance and cynicism with which the AP addresses the profession and all citizens, and that is unacceptable and will not pass, and if necessary, we will come again,” Sever said and quoted a famous movie quote: “Don’t pee on my back and tell me it’s raining.”
Vice President of the CJA, Drago Hedl, reminded in his speech of the practice where the ruling party always includes something less important in the working version of a law proposed for the Parliament, which can easily be removed in the final version under pressure from the opposition and the public, but the essence will be preserved.

The same is happening now with the Lex AP. First, they abandoned the punishment of journalists who publish information obtained from investigations, and yesterday the Minister of Justice announced that there will be no criminal offense if information is leaked in the interest of the victim, in the interest of defense in criminal proceedings, or in the overriding public interest. This apparent softening of the initial formulation of the criminal offense actually changes nothing – the essence remains: preventing and punishing the publication of such information. We are not here today out of fear of going to jail for publishing information from an investigative procedure; we are here in the interest of the profession, journalism as a public good, which works for the public good,” Hedl emphasized, adding that there are two cunning traps in the alleged retreat of the legislator, which relate to the non-punishment of journalists even if the publication of information from the investigation is in the overriding public interest.

First, how will the law define the term ”journalist,” who is and who is not, because from the previous judicial practice we see that some judges consider only people with a journalism degree or those who are employed in a media organization as journalists. Second, who guarantees that a journalist will not be punished for publishing information from the investigation under another legal basis, as an accomplice in committing a criminal offense,” said Hedl, commenting on the announcement of Minister Malenica that there will be no criminal offense if information from the investigation is published in the overriding public interest, he said: “The question is who and how evaluates what is and what is not in the public interest. In several judicial proceedings, judges have judged that there is no public interest in the publication of some information. Why wouldn’t investigative authorities act the same way? Why do they know better than journalists what is and what is not in the public interest?”

We are not here today to seek exemption from prosecution for journalists because we believe that the law should apply equally to everyone. We are here because we firmly demand that the Lex AP be immediately and permanently removed from the agenda, that it be abandoned, because its introduction into the Penal Code means the end of investigative journalism, which often relies on sources, honest people in the system who disagree with the cover-up of details from investigations, which often benefits high officials or high-ranking people from the top of the party. That is why we are firmly against the Lex AP, we demand that it be completely and permanently abandoned, and I personally am more inclined to the name “Lex Apocalypse” because its adoption would be a real apocalypse for free journalism. But I am in favor of writing the first two letters of the word “apocalypse” in capital letters – letters AP, like the initials of its real author – AP,” concluded Hedl.

Vice President of the CJA, Chiara Bilić, reminded of the AP’s statement that they will change the Criminal Procedure Code and the Penal Code so that the things from the files come out uncontrollably, intentionally, politically, selectively, arranged and cause political problems.

AP is here accidentally, more sincerely than he wanted, revealed the essence of the reason for enacting the law: preventing political damage. Yesterday, Minister Malenica casually announced that he would add a paragraph to the legislative proposal relating to the overriding public interest, which will be decided by the court, a concession under pressure, and that’s it. Then we say that we will not back down from the concession. Thank you very much, we are not falling for those tricks. Because of the enactment of a law that is not in the public interest, the court will consequently determine whether something is in the public interest? What the government of Andrej Plenković is doing is beyond comprehension,” emphasized Bilić, stating that this is another blow to press freedom.

Whistleblowers are now being silenced – people who warn about diseases in a system or process. These people do not wake up in the morning thinking today I will call that journalist to give him details of the investigation because I am bored. Because even today, this tax represents a significant risk. Journalists are often the last instance; people turn to journalists when they see no other way out. This is a law of dangerous intentions. This is a law that protects AP and his cronies. And this is a law that uses dead female bodies for protection,” concluded Bilić.

A member of the Executive Committee of the CJA, Branko Mijić, emphasized that if this Lex AP passes in the Parliament, the public will not be allowed to know why the holder of a banner was forcefully arrested, what crime is attributed to him because of the word “Dad” and which investigative actions against the suspect were conducted, without journalists risking three years in prison.

By prosecuting all those who dare to make dark state secrets public or joke with the authorities, and little Croatia is boldly inscribed on the global map of spreading Gulags, from Guantanamo and Belmarsh to Quantico and Siberia. Therefore, this law is not only a law of dangerous intentions but also a law of dangerous purposes! The timing of its adoption coincides no coincidence with the election of the new Chief Public Prosecutor Ivan Turudić, which can mean only one thing: that both the Law and the Prosecutor will diligently protect the character and deeds of Andrej Plenković, as well as his courtiers, from any possible exposure in public,” said Mijić, adding that the purpose of this law is more dangerous than its intention for the media to become a blank slate when Žalac and Rimac correspond about the boss while investigators record them, or when his henchman Marko Milić uses political influence to employ the favored ones in Croatian forests.

But the ultimate purpose of this law is more dangerous than all these intentions, and it aims, no matter how much Plenković tries to keep us in the dark, to punish and isolate undesirable journalists in order to completely dominate the public space. Whoever possesses the narrative, possesses absolute power, because they present lies as truth and demonize the truth as a threat to democracy,” concluded Mijić.

The protest ended with Zovko’s message that the fight against LEX AP will continue until it is completely withdrawn because this is also our country, and the public interest is above all.

The protest was attended by the chief editors of the most important Croatian print media, Dragan Ogurlić from Jutarnji list and Dražen Klarić from Večernji list. Numerous opposition politicians were seen at the protest: Peđa Grbin, Sandra Benčić, Rada Borić, Davor Bernardić, Davor Hajdaš Dončić, Marija Selak Raspudić, and others.

Message from the Split protest: We will violate the law of dangerous intentions, because it is in the public interest.

In Split, at Gaje Bulat Square in front of the Croatian National Theater, more than 200 journalists and citizens gathered, stating that “we all know that the public interest is above anyone’s privacy.”

Damir Petranović, President of the Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) Split-Dalmatia County Branch, said that this is the worst and most dangerous law proposed in recent years.

Its intention is to limit freedom of the press and expression and deprive the public of the right to know and receive information of public interest, Petranović said, stating that journalists will not remain silent and sending a message to Prime Minister Plenković and the future Chief Public Prosecutor that journalists will violate this law for the sake of public interest.

Therefore, I call on whistleblowers and all citizens to violate this law because without the media and journalists, Croatia would descend into dictatorship, Petranović emphasized.

On behalf of journalists from the Šibenik-Knin County, Davorka Blažević addressed the journalists, thanking them for their great turnout and highlighting the fact that AP and its followers do not want to hear journalists and do not want journalists to write.

We didn’t believe that this worst law proposal would come about at all. And we shouldn’t harbor any illusions. This law aims to intimidate and is essentially directed not against those who would reveal information – police officers, judges, or someone from the system – but against journalists. They fear journalists and want to silence us, and we won’t allow that, Blažević emphasized.
Gabrijela Radanović, Vice President of the CJA Split-Dalmatia County Branch, addressed the esteemed AP, stating that “a healthy system is based on healthy foundations.”

The law of dangerous intentions – Lex AP – is based on ultimatums and a kind of blackmail of parliamentary deputies. By that, we don’t mean just the secured hands of HDZ members and partners, but others as well. By hiding behind femicide, behind victims of horrific crimes, you are trying to protect the sheriffs. And quite a few of them are from your party, esteemed AP. Parliamentary deputies can support the inclusion of a new criminal offense, the serious murder of a female person, only if they vote for the unauthorized disclosure of content and evidence as well. They are literally forced to support the infamous Plenković law, or else, they do not support the inclusion of femicide as a criminal offense. AP can hardly go lower than that, and we’ve seen it all, Radanović said.
At the protest in Split, Mayor of Split Ivica Puljak and his deputy Bojan Ivošević also expressed support for journalists. The protest ended with loud whistles directed at Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

The negatives of the proposed amendments to the Criminal Code were systematically listed at the Split rally:

1. The draft of the new law prevents people who see irregularities in the system from informing the public about it.
2. The draft of the new law prevents journalists from sharing information about irregularities in the system with the public.
3. The draft of the new law prevents people who have no protection from the powerful from informing the public about injustices happening to them in the system.
4. The next time you or your child fail to get a job because it’s rigged and report it, if everything is covered up, no one will know because you won’t be allowed to say anything.
5. The next time an attempt is made to cover up that a woman was hit by a partner who has friends in high positions, no one will know because no one will be allowed to say anything.
6. The next time an attempt is made to cover up that some official caused a traffic accident, no one will know because no one will be allowed to say anything.
7. The next time you send your child on a bus for a better life, it will be because corruption will eat up our country completely since no one will be allowed to say anything.
8. Investigations are not secret, they are non-public. That’s why we can find out about irregularities and react. What will happen when we don’t know anything about irregularities?
9. The visibility of irregularities enables us to change the country for the better.
10. The visibility of irregularities protects the vulnerable and disenfranchised.
11. The visibility of irregularities protects you.
12. The visibility of irregularities protects our country.
13. The interest of the largest possible number of our citizens, therefore the public, must come before covering up irregularities in the system.
14. Andrej Plenković is the prime minister with the most journalist protests in his mandate.
15. Andrej Plenković is the prime minister who had nothing against data leaks and democracy until the initials AP appeared in one file. Andrej Plenković wants to control the news through judicial means.

Compiled by: Ivica Buljan / CJA