"FERAL TRIBUNE" PROTESTS OVER PERSECUTION OF JOURNALISTS

ZAGREB, Oct 30 (Hina) - Croatia's satirical weekly "Feral Tribune" on Friday released a statement protesting against the persecution of a journalist and publicist Slaven Letica and journalists Ivo Pukanic, Josip Jovic and Ratko Boskovic. The weekly is protesting against "the state policy which gives the freedom of speech a connotation of criminal offence". It judges that the prosecution of Slaven Letica because of his interview to the Slovene paper "Mladina", initiated by the State Attorney's Office with consent from President Franjo Tudjman, was "the persecution of an intellectual because of his expression of opinion". The weekly also protests against the alleged police surveillance of the "Nacional" weekly's editor-in-chief, Ivo Pukanic, as well as against a police summons to question him, after his weekly published aerial shots of President Tudjman's estate in Zagreb's Nazorova Street. "Feral Tribune" also mentions the case of "Slobodna Dalmacija" journalist Josip Jovic, who was brought in by police for questioning in the middle of the night. The weekly warns about the fact that the prosecutor handling Jovic's case is the brother of a high state official. Court proceedings are being conducted against journalist Ratko Boskovic as well, the paper further claims. It is shameful and absurd that the State Attorney's Office can sue a journalist over the alleged offence of disclosing a business secret, the weekly says, also condemning the ongoing trials of "Feral Tribune" reporters. (hina) rml/lml