ZAGREB, May 18 (Hina) - The chairwoman of the Croatian parliament's national security committee, Djurdja Adlesic, on Saturday addressed a Croatian Helsinki Committee on Human Rights (HHO) seminar on the public's right to information
and the restriction of access to information.
ZAGREB, May 18 (Hina) - The chairwoman of the Croatian parliament's
national security committee, Djurdja Adlesic, on Saturday
addressed a Croatian Helsinki Committee on Human Rights (HHO)
seminar on the public's right to information and the restriction of
access to information. #L#
Speaking about the protection of data of national security interest
as against the public's right to a piece of information, Adlesic
said the introduction of civilian supervision over the work of
secret services made sure the public was kept informed about their
work.
Security services, however, will continue working without such
supervision for a little longer, until the adoption of a law on the
election of members to the Civilian Supervision Council, said
Adlesic.
HHO president Zarko Puhovski said the incumbent authorities, by
postponing the introduction of civilian supervision over secret
services, stimulated the concept of a police state.
Some journalists said that some information from the State
Prosecutor's Office reached suspects sooner than the media.
Journalists, therefore, should not be held to account for their
publication, but civil servants, they said.
Others attending the two-day seminar, which wrapped up today, said
the violent behaviour of journalists who thought they could publish
anything could turn the 21st century into one of fighting abuse of
free speech, unlike the century before which was one of the struggle
for freedom of speech.
(hina) ha sb