Tudjman won recent local elections and quickly returned to some old cases...

IFEX- News from the international freedom of expression community

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ACTION ALERT UPDATE - CROATIA 6 May 1997

Two "Feral Tribune" journalists charged on appeal

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontieres (RSF), Paris

**Updates IFEX alerts dated 10 October, 26 and 19 September, 14 and 12 June, and 8 May 1996**

(RSF/IFEX) - On 6 May 1997, it was reported that Viktor Ivancic, editor-in-chief of the satirical weekly "Feral Tribune", and Marinko Culic, a staff journalist, had been again charged with libelling Croatian President Franjo Tudjman. Although the two journalists were acquitted on 26 September 1996 by a lower court, they learned that this decision had been cancelled by the Supreme Court on 5 May. The date of the next hearing has not been revealed.

BACKGROUND:

In May 1996, the Zagreb prosecutor announced that Ivancic and Culic had been charged with "libelling and insulting the President of the Republic" over an article published in "Feral Tribune", entitled "Bones in the Mixer". In the article, Culic ridiculed Tudjman's idea of burying the remains of victims and their executioners at the Jasenovac extermination camp in the same graves, and compared him to the Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco. After the journalists' acquittal in September 1996, the Zagreb prosecutor lodged an appeal in October 1996 on the grounds of procedural defects (see IFEX alerts).

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to authorities:

-expressing concern over the new trial against Viktor Ivancic and Marinko Culic, and urging that all charges against them be dropped

APPEALS TO:

His Excellency Franjo Tudjman
President of the Republic of Croatia
Zagreb, Croatia
Fax: +385 1 443 075/444 532/456 5188

Mr Zeyno Luzavec
Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Communication
Prisavlje 14
10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Fax: +385 1 611 0691

Minister of Internal Affairs
Mr Ivan Jarnjak
Ministar
Ministarstvo za unutraSnje poslove Republike Hrvatske
Savska cesta 39
10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Fax: +385 1 443 715

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
For further information, contact Jean Chichizola or Phillippe Guerrier at RSF, 5, rue Geoffroy Marie, Paris 75009, France,
tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51, e-mail: rsf@calvanet.calvacom.fr, Internet: http://www.calvacom.fr/rsf/.

The information contained in this action alert update is the sole responsibility of RSF. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF.

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