ZAGREB/ZADAR, Aug 9 (Hina) - Croatian Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic on Friday announced that her ministry along with the Supreme Court would investigate what exactly happened at Sisak County Court on Wednesday when the
president of that Court, Judge Danko Kovac, detained three reporters in his chambers for several hours.
ZAGREB/ZADAR, Aug 9 (Hina) - Croatian Justice Minister Ingrid
Anticevic Marinovic on Friday announced that her ministry along
with the Supreme Court would investigate what exactly happened at
Sisak County Court on Wednesday when the president of that Court,
Judge Danko Kovac, detained three reporters in his chambers for
several hours. #L#
According to news articles, Judge Kovac detained Mato Piskor of the
"Jutarnji List" daily, Zeljko Maljevac of the "Novi Sisacki
Tjednik" weekly and Boris Pavelic of the "Novi list" daily for more
than two hours on Wednesday when the three tried to obtain a
statement relating to pre-investigative proceedings in a possible
war crimes matter dating back to 1991.
I have asked for a report relating to the incident from the Court
President, Judge Kovac, the Justice Minister on Friday told
Croatian Radio in Zadar.
She added that Kovac's interpretation of the events differs from
what the newspapers have written and so it is necessary to establish
exactly what occurred.
In a statement on Thursday, Judge Kovac claimed that the reporters
were by no means detained in the Sisak Court but were kept a little
longer so that they could sign warrants obliging them to strict
confidentiality about the case in question.
Because he was kept in the Court premises, Mato Piskor filed a suit
against Judge Kovac. Kovac's actions were condemned by the
Association of Croatian Judges and media associations.
(hina) sp ms