NEW YORK, Sept 13 (Hina) - Reacting to a request by Josip Jovic, ajournalist indicted by the Hague war crimes tribunal for contempt, toprotect Croatian journalists from indictments, Croatian PresidentStjepan Mesic said on Monday he
wondered why Jovic had not sought hisadvice "when he broke the law", but that he could ask him for help.
NEW YORK, Sept 13 (Hina) - Reacting to a request by Josip Jovic, a
journalist indicted by the Hague war crimes tribunal for contempt, to protect
Croatian journalists from indictments, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said on
Monday he wondered why Jovic had not sought his advice "when he broke the
law", but that he could ask him for help. After he was indicted by
the Hague tribunal for contempt for publishing a testimony of a protected
witness
at the trial of Bosnian Croat general Tihomir Blaskic, Jovic, a
journalist for Slobodna Dalmacija daily, urged President Mesic to intercede
with the tribunal so that indictments against him and some other Croatian
reporters are withdrawn.
"Jovic did not ask me to give him advice when he broke the law. I don't
know why he is calling on me now," Mesic told Croatian reporters in New York,
where he arrived to attend a U.N. summit.
He added that Jovic had the right as every other citizen to ask the
president for help.