OSCE concerned for Croatian journalists

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) voiced concern Tuesday after two Croatian journalists were sentenced to prison for libel. The OSCE urged Zagreb to remove libel and defamation from the criminal code and incarceration as punishment for those offences.

"It is unacceptable that journalists should face prison sentences for their work," OSCE mission spokesman Alessandro Fracassetti said in a statement, adding that the verdicts could have a "chilling effect" on media freedom. Miroslav Juric, editor-in-chief of the former Novi Brodski List, was sentenced to 70 days jail after he refused to pay a fine of 12,600 kunas (2,100 dollars). He had published an article from another newspaper accusing a district attorney of corruption. The Croatian Journalists Association backed Juric decision not to pay the fine in protest and demanded the decriminalisation of libel under changes to the criminal code that are currently being discussed in parliament.

/The News International, Pakistan, 15.7.2004./

Klub novinara:

Magistar Miroslav Jurić, predavač na Strojarskom fakultetu u Slavonskom Brodu, 19. 7. započet će sa izdržavanjem kazne od 70 dana zatvora. Nekadašnji glavni urednik ugaslog Novog brodskog lista tako će biti jedini hrvatski novinar u zatvoru. Da se Juriću takvo što dogodilo u bivšem sustavu, danas bi bio ugledni član Hrvatske udruge političkih zatvorenika i zajedno sa Šeksom i ekipom prisjećao se uzničkih dana po komunističkim kazamatima.