Today, the European Commission responded to CJA’s letter expressing concern about the potential consequences of introducing a new criminal offense related to journalists’ work. As stated in the response, they have closely followed developments, especially as part of preparations for the Commission’s Annual Rule of Law Report.
The European Commission’s response also states that they are aware of the open letter from CJA and the editors of 19 Croatian media outlets and will continue to closely monitor relevant developments in Croatia regarding the practical consequences of recent amendments to the Criminal Code.
It is worth noting that the Croatian Journalists’ Association believes that the amendments to the Criminal Code regarding unauthorized disclosure of information from investigations, colloquially referred to as “Lex AP,” are dangerous for media freedom and the public’s right to be informed. CJA finds Article 307.a of the Criminal Code, “Unauthorized Disclosure of Content from Investigative or Evidentiary Actions,” unacceptable and has requested its withdrawal.
