NUMBER OF CASES AGAINST JOURNALISTS SMALL - SUPREME COURT HEAD

ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian Supreme Court, Milan Vukovic, on Friday denied allegations stating that Croatia is topping the suits against journalists chart. There have been five cases against journalists, initiated by state attorneys, in all Croatian courts on October 1, 1998. Three cases are being discussed, while two are in pre-trial investigation. At the same time, court proceedings also include 259 civil suits filed by individuals against the press on libel or offence counts. According to Vukovic, the state has nothing to do with the latter cases. It is a small number of cases given that more than 750 newspapers and magazines are published in Croatia, that Croatia has about five million inhabitants, and that all these cases have been open since 1990, he told Hina. The number of filed suits alone still does not speak about their outcome in court, Vukovic said. "It can be concluded from an analysis of the cases that plaintiffs feel protected only when they refer to court, since other defence elements are undeveloped," said Vukovic, and mentioned press article correction, public apology, and the like, as democratic modes of behaviour. "Such methods are undeveloped in Croatia and this is why people refer to court," he concluded. (hina) ha jn