Press conferences on the matter were held simultaneously in Zagreb by the nongovernmental organisations GOLJP, Documenta and the Croatian Helsinki Committee on Human Rights (HHO), and in Osijek, eastern Croatia, by the Centre for Peace and Human Rights.
Pusic recalled that a month ago Djapic read out the names of 19 witnesses from a State Prosecutor's Office investigation request, explaining that he wanted to expose a false witness. The revelation was covered by the media.
Pusic said Djapic's act and state institutions' failure to react had undermined Croatia's credibility, and that the Hague war crimes tribunal would hardly support a judiciary which did not protect witnesses. He added the UN court had notified the justice minister about the incident.
Documenta leader Vesna Terselic said next year would show if the Croatian judiciary was capable of protecting witnesses and if people would dare to testify following Djapic's move.
HHO president Zarko Puhovski said he had been informed the State Prosecutor's Office would not react because the piece of paper from which Djapic had read out the names was not marked as "state secret", and added that as a member of parliament Djapic enjoyed immunity.
Puhovski said the worst message being sent was that it was open season for hunting witnesses.
The Centre for Peace called on the Osijek County Prosecutor's Office to take the necessary steps, saying Djapic's act was a crime which obstructed investigation and intimidated witnesses.
Asked by the press if the persons Djapic mentioned had been interviewed as witnesses and if so, could they be referred to as potential witnesses, Centre for Peace president Katarina Kruhonja said she did not know, but that if they had they would still have to testify in court.
She added that in war crimes trials in Croatia, it frequently happened that witnesses who lived in Croatia did not say in court what they had said to the police because they were afraid.