ZAGREB, 20 Oct (Hina) - A hearing scheduled for Monday in the repeated trial against the editor-in-chief and a journalist of the Split weekly 'Feral Tribune', Viktor Ivancic and Marinko Culic respectively, for libel and insult against
the Croatian President, was postponed at the Zagreb Municipal Court due to the defendants' absence.
ZAGREB, 20 Oct (Hina) - A hearing scheduled for Monday in the
repeated trial against the editor-in-chief and a journalist of the
Split weekly 'Feral Tribune', Viktor Ivancic and Marinko Culic
respectively, for libel and insult against the Croatian President,
was postponed at the Zagreb Municipal Court due to the defendants'
absence. #L#
Ivancic justified his non-appearance before the court with his
journey to New York, where he is to receive a media freedom award
for 1997, given to him by the U.S. committee for the protection of
journalists (CPJ), while Culic is on an official journey to Split,
where he stands in for Ivancic.
In line with its official duty, the state attorney's office in
Zagreb had instigated a procedure against Ivancic and Culic for
libel and insult against the President of the Republic, with the
President's consent.
On 25 September last year, Judge Marin Mrcela acquitted
Ivancic and Culic, estimating that the disputed texts were not
libellous, but value judgements which cannot be subject to
prosecution.
However, the County Court accepted the 10 October 1996 appeal
by the state attorney's office in Zagreb concerning Mrcela's
verdict, explaining that the court of first instance had not
evaluated all relevant facts adequately.
"Consent for legal prosecution of libel necessarily includes
prosecution of the indictable offence of insult," the County Court
said.
(hina) mm rm
201938 MET oct 97