The SEEMO calls on the government and parliament to ensure that all details are made public, while respecting the private sphere of Puljiz, and prevent such practices happening in the future, said a statement issued by the network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, from Southeast Europe dedicated to freedom of the press and improving the standards and practices of journalism on Monday.
Freelancer Puljiz sent a letter to the Croatian Council for Civil Supervision of Intelligence Agencies on October 15 saying that earlier that month she was taken by POA employees for an interview. The five-hour interrogation turned into an attempt to bribe and blackmail the journalist. She was asked to cooperate with POA and also to deliver information about a former associate of the Croatian President and her work as a journalist.
Puljiz said she was threatened that in case she refused , POA would make public compromising details about her private life.
The SEEMO said that it had information about similar forms of pressure by the police and secret services on other Croatuan reporters.
The organisation stressed it was informed that the position of freelance journalists in Croatia was continuously worsening under the present labour act, tax law and copyright law. "The government has been refusing to amend the unfavourable legal regulations regarding the freedom and financial independence of freelance reporters, as proposed by the Freelance Journalists' Chapter (FJC) and the Croatian Journalists' Association (HND)," SEEMO said in the statement.
"SEEMO urges the Croatian government to amend these laws according to international standards. SEEMo would like to stress that it is vital for journalists to do their job freely and that independent media are crucual fir democratic development in any country", the statement said.