Threats against the lives and limbs of journalists, group of journalists, Zadar, 1.12.2020.

CJA •︎ 03/12/2020

Threats against the lives and limbs of journalists, group of journalists, Zadar, 1.12.2020.

Translations: Zagreb 

  • Case info

  • Personal info

  • Regional center
    Zagreb
  • Who was attacked?
    Group

  • Media outlet

  • Name of the media outlet
    Slobodna Dalmacija, zadarski.hr
  • Type of media platform
    Printed Media
    Online Media
  • Source of information about the incident
    media

  • Incident Data

  • Date of incident
    01.12.2020
  • City
    Zadar
  • Perpetrator(s)
    Known (convicted)
  • Attacked by
    (ordinary) citizens
  • Means of incidents and attacks
    In person
  • Type of incident
    life_threat

  • Action by the authorities

  • Police action
    Police officers from the First Police Station in Zadar have completed a criminal investigation into 50-year-old Ž.M., who is suspected of making threats and endangering public health by spreading an infectious disease, according to a statement from the Zadar Police Department. According to police suspicions, on December 1st around noon, Ž.M. visited the offices of Slobodna Dalmacija and the portal Zadarski.hr in Zadar. Dissatisfied with media reports published on their websites, he allegedly issued serious death threats to a journalist, which caused her to feel fear and concern for her personal safety. After making the threats, he left the premises. He is also suspected of having organized a wedding celebration at his family home in Slivnica Gornja on November 28th, despite a decision by the National Civil Protection Headquarters issued the day before, which prohibited such gatherings in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. A video of the event was made public, and this act is considered a serious violation of epidemiological measures, thereby endangering public health, according to the police. Following the completion of the investigation, on December 2nd, 2020, Ž.M. was handed over to the detention supervisor of the Zadar Police Department, along with a criminal complaint on reasonable suspicion that he committed the criminal offenses of Threat (Article 139, paragraph 3 in conjunction with paragraph 2) and Transmission of an Infectious Disease (Article 180, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Croatia). The 50-year-old was released after the investigating judge imposed a restraining order prohibiting him from approaching four female journalists, as well as from approaching the offices of Slobodna Dalmacija and the Zadarski.hr portal in Zadar.
  • Public prosecutor's action
    On December 17th, 2020, after conducting an investigation, the Municipal State Attorney’s Office in Zadar filed an indictment against a Croatian citizen (born in 1970) for committing a criminal offense against personal freedom through threats, as defined and punishable under Article 139, paragraph 3 in conjunction with paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code. (December 22nd, 2020) The defendant is charged with, on December 1st, 2020, in Zadar, being dissatisfied with the publication of newspaper articles, entering a newsroom and, with the intention of causing fear and distress, seriously threatening the journalists present that he would kill them, which caused the victims to feel fear and anxiety.
  • Court action
    The attacker was sentenced to 2 years probation.
  • Legal status of the case
    Perpetrator is convicted
  • 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
    The association informed international organizations and institutions

Journalists from Slobodna Dalmacija and the Zadarski.hr portal wrote about a wedding in Slivnica Gornja held despite the measures of the National civil protection headquarters, which banned wedding ceremonies. As soon as the story was published, two middle-aged men with surgical masks on their faces entered the premises of the Slobodna Dalmacija correspondent office in Zadar, on 1st December around 12h. One of them called the journalists vultures and threatened to “kill and slaughter like kittens” all those who wrote about the wedding. After that, they both left the editorial office, saying that they would return after visiting the editorial office of Zadarski list.