ZAGREB, March 2 (Xinhua) -- More than 350 Croatian journalists protested here on Saturday over increasing lawsuits against them.
The reason for the protest is the increasing number of lawsuits against journalists. Currently there are 1,163 court proceedings against Croatian journalists and media.
"There is enough persecution of journalists and destruction of the public profession. It has been going on for decades," said Hrvoje Zovko, president of the Croatian Journalists' Association.
Protestors later submitted requests to the Ministry of Culture and the government against censorship.
Among the eight requests sent to the government is the demand for the abolition of the misdemeanor lawsuits against journalists, for the legal protection of journalists, for amendments to the Law on Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) and the dismissal of its leadership, and the de-politicization of the Electronic Media Council.
Croatian journalists particularly condemn the leadership of HRT public service, which has initiated several court proceedings against journalists of their own house.
Journalists from Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina also attended the rally.
The Croatian Journalists' Association has 2,500 members of professional journalists. However, it is estimated that in Croatia there are about 5,000 professional journalists, who have repeatedly asked for better working and professional conditions.
