HRT director general Mirko Galic suspended them for "lack of professionalism". Galic, who is currently a candidate for the post of ambassador to France, apparently felt they should be punished for putting the president in a difficult situation. Galic denies that this is the case, the RSF said in a statement.
"We view the suspension of these two journalists as disproportionate," Reporters Without Borders said. "We are astonished to see that the national television chief is prepared to use self-censorship in order to please the president. The independence of the media, including the public media, is especially important in the run-up to next November"s parliamentary elections," the statement says.
The RSF goes on to quote parts of Mesic's speech, made in Australia in the 1990s, and Mesic's response in which he claimed that the speech was made in a special context and pointed to evidence of his anti-fascist orientation.
The RSF says that Druzijanic and Rotim released a joint statement saying that they were shocked at their suspension.
The RSF is a Paris-based international organisation which fights globally for journalistic freedoms and against censorship and any kind of pressure on journalists and media workers. It was founded 18 years ago and has more than 100 reporters on all five continents.