Rexhepi said in a statement on Sunday that the HND had unequivocally taken a political stance in violation of the fundamental principles of the HND and the journalistic profession in general and that it had failed to protect the journalists and freedom of the press.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has indicted former military intelligence service chief Markica Rebic and journalists Ivica Marijacic, Domagoj Margetic and Stjepan Seselj for revealing the identity of protected witnesses who testified in the trial of General Tihomir Blaskic.
HND Vice-President Zdenko Duka said in a statement earlier on Sunday that the HND would use its authority to ensure that the four men were not criminally prosecuted, but that it could not stand in defence of the publication of testimonies by protected witnesses.
In his initial statement, Duka said that the three journalists had acted "unprofessionally and in violation of the ICTY Statute".