The HND also calls on reporters and HND members to abide by laws, regulations and decisions by Croatian courts and the Hague tribunal, it was said after an extraordinary session of the HND Executive Committee, held this afternoon to discuss the case of the former editor of Slobodna Dalmacija daily from Split.
Commenting on Jovic's arrest, the HND Executive Committee said the principles of media freedom and rule of law are the basic guidelines of journalism.
The HND expressed regret that Jovic had not responded to the summons to appear before the Hague tribunal, which it said was the only place where he could defend his position, as well as that the Split County Court had ruled that Jovic be placed in custody for failing to respond to the summons.
The HND rejected in principle journalists being arrested over their articles, stating that every journalist had the right to conscientious objection and civil disobedience, which it said entailed the risk of criminal prosecution, as in Jovic's case.
The Jovic case shows that in complex cases of a professional and ethical nature colleagues from the same profession rather than courts should decide about possible mistakes, the HND said, calling on the Hague tribunal to consider the possibility of discontinuing proceedings against Jovic and other indicted Croatian reporters.
An investigating judge of the Split County Court yesterday ruled that Jovic be placed in custody on the basis of an order issued by the Hague tribunal, which indicted the reporter for contempt of court for publishing the identity and testimony of a protected witness in the trial of Bosnian Croat general Tihomir Blaskic.