HDZ INITIATES LIBEL SUITS AGAINST "NOVI LIST", "NACIONAL"

ZAGREB, Sept 3 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on Tuesday initiated libel suits against editors-in-chief of the "Novi List" and "Nacional" weeklies, Veljko Vicevic and Ivo Pukanic, and authors of libelous articles, a statement from Attorney Zeljko Olujic's Office, who is representing HDZ, said. The statement says that "recently HDZ was being unsparingly subjected to slander on the part of sensationalist papers Novi List and Nacional. These papers intentionally threw mud on the reputation of the leadership and membership of HDZ, which nowadays has half a million members and is highly reputed among the Croatian people. "The freedom of media is not the freedom of movement. "HDZ will continue to resist every attack on the reputation and honour of its leadership and members through the means of a constitutional state", the statement concluded. (hina) ha 031702 MET sep 96