Croatia: International fact-finding mission to assess status of press freedom

The mission follows the assessment of the persistence of attacks against journalists and fact-checkers in Croatia, as well as the growing challenges related to transparency of media ownership and legal threats against journalists. 

Since January this year, the MFRR recorded 11 alerts involving 2 journalists and nine entities related to the media. The majority of attacks are verbal abuse, with half instigated by high officials, and online threats, including smears and legal incidents. Recently, the MFRR reported an unprecedented physical attack, which is uncommon in Croatia. Further, according to a recent survey conducted by the Croatian Journalists’ Association (Hrvatsko novinarsko društvo – HND) with 21 media outlets in Croatia, at least 752 lawsuits against the media and journalists are currently active, some of which may be categorised as SLAPPs. 

The MFRR mission will be led by ARTICLE 19 Europe and co-led by the European Federation of Journalists, in partnership with HND. The mission will also see the participation of MFRR representatives: the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, the International Press Institute, Free Press Unlimited and Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa. 

The mission will focus on assessing attacks and legal threats against journalists, new media law plans, the implementation of the EMFA and Anti-SLAPP instruments, and media ownership transparency. It will also address recent Criminal Code amendments that risk undermining journalists’ ability to report on public interest issues, and the need to fully decriminalise defamation to comply with international freedom of expression standards.

These topics will be discussed with a wide group of interlocutors in Croatia, ranging from journalists, media houses, civil society organisations, lawyers and media experts, government officials and regional bodies.

The findings and conclusions will be used to develop a report outlining the current state of press freedom in Croatia, as well as the status of existing initiatives aimed at improving journalists’ safety. It will include a set of recommendations for decision-makers on upholding media freedom in line with European and international freedom of expression standards. 

For inquiries, please contact Roberta Taveri, Senior Programme Officer for Media Freedom and Europe at ARTICLE 19 Europe: roberta.taveri@article19.org 

This statement was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and candidate countries.