Croatia: Journalist Domagoj Margetić beaten in Zagreb city centre
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is backing its affiliate, the Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA), to denounce the attack against the journalist Domagoj Margetić, in Zagreb (Croatia) city centre, on 13 December.
According to the testimony given by phone to the Croatian Journalists’ Association, Margetić said he was approached by a man. He thought he wanted to ask him something, but the man shouted he would “silence” him, adding “You will never write again”. He went on with threats and started to beat him.
Domagoj Margetić is a journalist investigating crime and corruption in Croatia and is editor of „No censorship“ show at TV Mreža. Margetić has been threatened and attacked before. At the end of last month (November) he found a graffiti at the entrance of his building saying “You are dead, you journalistic scum-bag”. He was beaten at this same place in 2014. The perpetrators were not found.
“We urge the police to find the perpetrator and possible mastermind of this attack as soon as possible. As long as we do not have other motive for this attack, we will consider Margetić’s journalistic work as the reason”, said Saša Leković, CJA president.
“This attack is just one in the chain of attacks against journalists partly due to the increasing intolerance in Croatian society and lack of adequate reaction of relevant institutions. The CJA has constantly expressed worries about it, last time at the session of Parliament Committee for information, informatisation and media. But even then some politicians found journalists themselves to be responsible for being attacked“, said Leković.
Credit photo: CJA
