Croatia: Two attackers raided the Zadarski.hr’s office and threatened to kill journalists

December 5, 2020 -Two unknown men raided the editorial office of Zadarski.hr in Zadar, during which one of the attackers threatened to kill journalists working for the news outlet.  The assault was in retaliation to a news story aired about a wedding held in violation of Covid-19 regulations. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is deeply concerned about the journalist’s safety and demands authorities to implement strict consequences for the violent attacks against journalists.

According to Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), Zadarski.hr’s editor reported that the incident took place around noon on December 1st. Two unknown men attacked the office of Zadarski.hr and the parent newspaper, Slobodna Dalmacija, while shouting and harassing working journalists. The attackers raided the office after the outlet aired a story regarding a wedding held in Slivnica Gornja, in violation of the government’s Covid-19 restrictions. The attacker who stormed the office called the journalists vultures and threatened to "kill and slaughter journalists like kittens”. Soon after, the assailants fled the scene with no further action. It was revealed that the journalist who wrote the report was targeted by online death threats following the incident. 

After the news agency reported the incident to the authorities, the police detained a suspect found to be 50 years old. An investigation was then conducted into the suspect and his possible involvement in the attack. The editor of Zadarski.hr later clarified that the suspect has been banned from the premises and is under strict orders not to approach the journalists. 

This is not the first incident where journalists have faced threats over the Covid-19 coverage. On October 23, the N1 TV crew and the live broadcast’s guest professor, Markotić, were verbally attacked by a young couple.

The N1 TV crew was getting ready for the live broadcast in a public green area when a couple approached them, making comments about the crew not wearing masks. The crew ignored the couple’s comments, though they were met with more provocation minutes later, this time with insults. The couple acted aggressively towards the cameraman, trying to impede his work. 

CFWIJ understands the negative impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has on people, yet we condemn the threats and attacks against journalists working to inform the public amid the pandemic. We appreciate the dedicated work of journalists reporting on this pandemic from across the world, often putting their health at risk. We urge the people to respect press freedom and end their hostility towards journalists. We demand the authorities take immediate measures to deter the vicious attacks against journalists for doing their job.