ZAGREB, Jan 26(Hina) - The Croatian Journalists' Association (HND) issued a statement on Monday strongly condemning the pressure exerted on Slobodna Dalmacija reporter Sasa Jadrijevic Tomas and editors of the Split-based daily to
cancel the publication of an article accusing Assistant Interior Minister Stipe Cacija of refusing to pay alimony.
ZAGREB, Jan 26(Hina) - The Croatian Journalists' Association (HND)
issued a statement on Monday strongly condemning the pressure exerted
on Slobodna Dalmacija reporter Sasa Jadrijevic Tomas and editors of
the Split-based daily to cancel the publication of an article accusing
Assistant Interior Minister Stipe Cacija of refusing to pay alimony.#L#
In its Saturday issue, Slobodna Dalmacija published an article
headlined "For 18 Years Cacija Has Refused to Pay Alimony for His Son
Who Lives in Misery". On Sunday, the government issued a statement
saying that Cacija had offered his resignation "until the truth about
those allegations is fully established".
The HND said that influential figures from legal, political, police
and military circles "who are obviously either friends or
acquaintances of Stipe Cacija" wanted to stop the publication of the
article.
"We take this opportunity to recall that there are no taboo subjects
for a free press, nor can there be any protected politicians or, as in
this case, senior officials of the state about whom verified and
credibly documented unpleasant facts should not be published," said
the statement signed by HND vice-president Zdenko Duka.
(Hina) vm sb