CROATIAN HELSINKI COMMITTEE'S STATEMENT

ZAGREB, July 14 (Hina) - In a statement, issued on Thursday, Croatian Helsinki Committee (HHO) "warns that media freedoms are being suppressed and restricted in Croatia," citing the example of the Croatian Culture and Education Ministry imposing "an additional turnover tax on the Split-based magazine Feral Tribune", and the case of the drafts of the bill on the freedoms in providing information and the cases of "disturbance foreign and domestic journalists meet in their work". The Croatian Helsinki Committee calls on the government to rescind the decision on the turnover tax for Feral Tribune "in accordance with promises to stimulate freedoms in mass media and European standard of freedom of the public statements and media." The HHO feels that this decision of the Culture and Education Ministry may be branded as "one of many attempts to suppress the independent, non-party and critical journalism in Croatia." The HHO also calls on the Croatian government to revoke the announced bills on media, and to " make it possible for journalists to work without facing harassment." The HHO considers that such bills "restrict seriously freedoms of mass-media." 142139 MET jul 94