CROATIA-INFORMATION: Press Freedom for Whom?

By Vesna Peric Zimonjic Reprint | | Print |

Vesna Peric-Zimonjic

ZAGREB, Jul 17 1996 (IPS) - Croatian president Franjo Tudjman had a convenient rejoinder when a group of visiting journalists asked him about freedom of the press the other day: he showed them a recent edition of Feral Tribune.

Plastered across a page of the feisty Zagreb weekly was an illustration captioned ‘JAWS 5″. The white shark shown in the magazine was not unlike the one that appeared in the Steven Spielberg movie, only this one had a moustache and wore Tudjman’s trademark glasses.

Waving the publication, Tudjman told the visiting journalists that such publications were “not in line with democracy”.

The journalists — from an international group that monitors press freedom — were here because press freedom in Croatia is under a cloud. Allegations of human rights violations were part of the reason Croatia received only conditional acceptance into the Council of Europe earlier this month. Before it can become a full member, Croatia’s situation will have to be reviewed by a commission of the Council in September.

Croatian journalists complain that there has been a major crackdown on the independent press in recent months. Observers here say the crackdown is aimed at reducing growing disaffection over the high-handed rule of Tudjman’s ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), accused of being involved in official corruption.

These criticims have gathered pace ahead of key regional elections due to be held later this year. HDZ, a firmly nationalist party, won the first multiparty elections in Croatia in 1990 and led the country into independence in 1991 as the former Yugoslavia disintegrated.

Only few independent media exist in the country: a daily – Novi List – and several weeklies like Feral Tribune, Panorama, Globus, Nacional and Arkzin. Feral Tribune and Arkzin have vigorously opposed the war Croatia engaged in against the Serbs and Muslims.

A state-controlled news agency exists. Known as HINA, it publishes mainly official statements. There is also a small independent news agency, STINA, based in Split, which exchanges news with independent agencies and other media in ex-Yugoslav republics.

Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) is under strict state control. The only independent TV and radio station is Zagreb radio “101”. But it is under threat of losing its licence.

Recent legislative changes mean the Croatian Ministry of Shipping, Transport and Communications must approve frequencies and licences for TV or radio stations. That will force Radio “101” to reapply for a license, although it has been operating with proper documents for 12 years.

“It looks like with such a move Radio 101 could practically lose its licence, which would definitely be a shame for this country,” an article in Arkzin commented.

The European parliament and media bodies, including Reporteurs Sans Frontiers based in Paris, condemned the crackdown on the press in Croatia, saying it was an “infringement of basic civil liberties”. No official media, including the state controlled HRT, carried the protest.

What prompted the statements was the trial of Feral Tribune editor-in-chief Viktor Ivancic and journalist Marinko Culic. Both were indicted for allegedly insulting the Croatian president — thus violating a law passed recently by parliament. Journalists can be sent to jail for up to three years for writing uncomplimentary things about the president or other high official of the state.

Ivancic and Culic were tried for articles published in Feral Tribune earlier this year condemning Tudjman’s plan to bury former Croatian pro-Nazi Ustashi soldiers alongside dozens of thousands of victims of Ustashi world war two regime at a former concentration camp of Jasenovac.

Published under the titles “Bones in a Blender” and “Jasenovac – the Biggest Croatian Underground Town”. Due to the several reasons, the trial, covered by as many as 100 journalists in Zagreb, was adjourned until September 25.

“Croatia is one of the few European countries where journalists still have to appear in court,” Ivancic commented, adding that not even the communist regime of former Yugoslavia had such strict rules on press. “This trial is aimed at criminalising opinions different from those of Tudjman, but we will continue to think his idea is sick. It is relativising war crimes,” Ivancic added.

The two accused were defended by a team of eight lawyers, including some of the top lawyers in the country. Several other trials under the law are under preparation.

This was not the first time that Feral Tribune, with a circulation of some 70,000, has gone to trial. Its name is a pun on the International Herald Tribune, with world “feral” meaning “lantern” in Croatian. The satirical, muckraking articles and irreverent photo montages of Feral, have been a thorn in the side of the nationalist government.

Ivancic was temporarily detained in 1993 for allegedly dodging military service. In 1994 the government imposed a huge “pornography tax” on Feral Tribune that could have made it bankrupt, but the levy was rescinded by court action.

The biggest independent daily, Novi list, from the port town of Rijeka, was hit with a 2.5 million dollar fine for allegedly evading import taxes a few months ago. Novi list is well known for writing about subjects considered taboo.

Its young editorial team comments on the Catholic Church, human rights, economic policy of Croatian regime. Among columnists on Novi list are several well known Croatian journalists who lost their jobs six years ago for criticising Franjo Tudjman.

Last month, Panorama weekly was temporarily closed for what was termed “environmental offenses”, as local Zagreb authorities put it. The police said Panorama had engaged in publishing activities before its newsroom was approved on technical and environmental grounds by competent judicial bodies.

Panorama’s editors said they were “taken aback” by the decision. Editor-in-chief Josip Jovic said the closing was a reaction to Panorama’s articles criticising the government.

“My belief is that what prompted (the closure) was an article on the president written by our regular contributor and columnist, Slaven Letica,” Andrej Rora, editor in Panorama said. Letica is a former top adviser to Tudjman and a widely respected independent political analyst in Croatia.

One of his latest articles dealt with “The 13 Failures of Tudjman Regime”, dedicated to huge, pathetic monuments and projects aimed at glorifying Croatian history.

Last week, criminal libel charges were filed against another independent weekly, Globus, after it accused the government of drawing up a blacklist of political rivals.