ZAGREB, Oct 21 (Hina) - Croatian Culture Minister Antun Vujic told Hina on Tuesday he would invite representatives of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) to come to Croatia at his ministry's expense to personally see the degree of media
freedoms.
ZAGREB, Oct 21 (Hina) - Croatian Culture Minister Antun Vujic told
Hina on Tuesday he would invite representatives of Reporters
Without Borders (RSF) to come to Croatia at his ministry's expense
to personally see the degree of media freedoms. #L#
Vujic said he was appalled by the report on media freedoms the
international organisation released yesterday in which, among 166
surveyed countries, Croatia was ranked 69th as opposed to 33rd last
year.
The minister said it was inconceivable that the report ranked
countries such as East Timor higher than Croatia.
"That's why I'll invite representatives of (RSF) to come to Croatia
at our expense so that in talks with journalists and
representatives of the media, associations and institutions they
can establish the real truth about the degree of media freedoms in
Croatia."
Vujic said he was sorry the RSF had relied only on assessments made
by its three Croatian sources and had not contacted the Croatian
Journalists' Association, the Helsinki Committee on Human Rights,
and the OSCE Mission to Croatia, which he said knew the real
situation with media freedoms and media legislation in the
country.
The report smears Croatia and its bids to ensure the highest
standards of media freedoms, said the minister, adding that
personal reasons were behind the negation of attempts to upgrade
said freedoms, including the increased responsibility of the
media.
The main reason for the dramatic fall in Croatia's placing is the
planting of a bomb under the car of Ninoslav Pavic, co-owner of the
Europapress Holding publishing company, in March, an RSF source
said earlier today.
(hina) ha