Who does SOA blog?!

…

Now that I have seen what the CNN blog released, I have gone through the blog more carefully and come across some other, allegedly “Agency’s” posts:

-Željko, what kind of intelligence underground are you talking about? When you write all sorts of nonsense and misinformation, then it is called “professional” journalism. When someone is critical and asks you for anything concerning your work as a journalist, then you say how that is exclusively to the order and in the production of “the intelligence underground”. Didn’t Franjo Turek use the same terminology? Didn’t he name certain Croatian journalists “intelligence underground”?  It seems that you have yet another point of reference. 

As far as my assertion (indicating you and (let me use your jargon) Daddy Manolić operating together) is concerned, it seems you haven’t overworked yourself to deny that. The fact is you can’t deny it because one just has to read your texts and comments.

 

Now that you have forced me to speak, I will point to one more specualtion that is being talked about in Gospić and Rijeka. The story says that, at some time, you used to inform some unsavory characters on late Levar’s movement (the same Levar you feel so protective about now and about whom you have already written « War and peace » on your Internet pages). Naturally, you will say again that it is a classic example of « intelligence undergorund » set-up (30/1/2007 ; 21:20)

- for Krešo Bilan: If you agree with “Željko’s information”, then why haven’t you brought charges especially since, as you have indicated yourself, the mechanisms of the rule of law don’t function ? As far as my anonymity is concerned, it is my discretional right. If writers can publish books using false names and pen names, then we can contribute our comments in the same way.  31/1/2007, (14:17)
…
“aleluja” in comments on post “Spies rushed on to blog” on 45 lines

I have been repeatedly warning the public and authorities that the SOA director Tomislav Karamarko was obstructing Milan Levar’s murder investigation. Then, in order to turn attention from the topic, the “Agency” accused me of “snitching” Levar to “unsavory characters”. What is it: protection of national interests or protection of killers?!

-Peratović, or I should call you AGENT “PUNIŠA” (the spy name Turek gave you), how much does your integrity cost? Is it HRK1, 000 a month plus bonus per every “quality” information? Still, the price is irrelevant- what matters is integrity.

Tell me, will you be able to look ĐURĐA ADLEŠIĆ square in the eye since you told Turek that her lover was SIS member Josip Trogrlić. Moreover, you said that she was so much in love with him that she told him the most confidential information she knew as (then) the chief of the parliamentary Board for national security?

Greetings to aleluja, he is on a good track, let him just keep digging on hypocrite Željko Peratović!

“Križar”, 1/2/2007, 08:08, in comment on post “Soa case of Nenada Vukman, member of the Council for the civil supervision of secret services”

Hm, you should remember what Mesić-Karamarko’s “Nacional” published after my arrest:

BLOGGER PUNIŠA BROUGHT IN FOR QUESTIONING

Željko Peratović started and ended his journalist’s career in Vjesnik. He also wrote for a number of newspapers, including Nacional where he worked shortly. Some secret services considered him their associate while his code name in POA records was ‘Puniša’

Berislav Jelinić, Nacional, 22/10/007.

Who briefed “Nacional” on how to discredit me? Was it the Agency or Berislav Jelinić, a journalist, who came across this information while surfing the Internet and believed it to be true although it came from “an anonymous commentator?

Those were the attempts to discredit me followed by “lujka“’s provocative comment:

@45.- here is the precise information. Josip Buljević has been touring South America for 2 weeks now. He spent most of the time in the Croatian Embassy in Buenos Aires where the scandal, similar to the one in Portugal, broke. The Embassy’s employees have reported how Buljević introduced the reign of terror, verbally abused them, and even suggested the polygraph testing for the ambassador’s bodyguard. At the same time, he was frequently seen dining with Rojnica’s closest relatives and friends!

“lujka”, 29/04/2007, (16:46), comment on post “Tomislav Karamarko and Tihomir Oresković

- for comment: read H.L. from the first half of the last year (Perković is on the front cover). The article is under the headline “I didn’t order immigrants’ killings”, signed by Tomislav Držić. The attempt was to grant amnesty to-free Perković from any responsibility for mass killings of Croats that took place abroad. Those killings were planned and helped by the State security service which was, for many years, run by the above mentioned Josip Perković.
This article is interesting for the reason that it was signed by Tomislav Držić who was Perković’s associate in Zagreb..
 Željko has also mentioned Maks Manfreda, UDBA member, who testified in the court when Sindičić was tried for murdering Bruno Bušić. However, he didn’t mention professor of TIPSS and Marxism, a former police officer, who used to fuss about Bruno and send reports on him to the Split UDBA. What a coincidence! He also writes for H.L. that ran the article with the reconstruction of associates’ net from the “professional’s” (J.P.’s) memory. Do you know whose name was deleted from that associates’ list in H.L.? The name of Ante Ivković from “Vjesnik”, Marijačić’s journalist’s mentor and protector, who was also SDS and KOS associate.  

 

As far as Ivan Bandić is concerned, you should look into who is behind him, who gave him the permission for an interview in Globus one year ago (here I don’t refer to J.P.). Those people, more than anyone, are against any kind of lustration.

“lujka”, 11/04/2007,21:37, comment on post “Mark Cigoj defending Ivan Bandić

To sum up, they wanted to discredit me by “ingratiating themselves with me” and denouncing colleagues from “Hrvatski list”, about whom, except Tomislav Jelić, I don’t have some positive opinion.
With regards to these provocative acts, I hove come into possession of some other evidence which I will not disclose for the time being.

As far as “Antimon”, reported by CNN to be one of “Agency’s” nicks, is concerned, I couldn’t find his posts. However, I presume that we are probably talking about hate speech aimed at Bosniaks (mentioning terms such as “balija” and “bastards”, disparaging Karamarko’s wife  Enisa’s family and insulting Željko Malnar, co-founder of Karamarko’s company  “Soboli” etc.), in comments on post  “Bosniaks’ quota in SOA”. I deleted those comments after being warned by Nemanja alias Kapetan Kuka that, in the name of “freedom of speech”, I mustn’t allow “hate speech” …

I think that Ostojić’s parliamentary board and its Council will be rather busy. Here’s to them! If these posts turn out to be, and they can be checked by tracing logs, “Agency’s” posts, then those are the offences for which SOA chief, Tomislav Karamarko, as well as the general state attorney Mladen Bajić, who allegedly approved of such “activities”, will have to be accountable for.
They will not pass Euro-Atlantic integrations’ “lustration” and that is why I am the obstacle – or State enemy no. 1 – in “approaching” the integrations.

  

45 lines, 5 March 2008, Wednesday

Karadžić and Karamarko

Croatian secret services have one more additional argument when claiming that they did not know where Ante Gotovina was when he was searched for by the Hague court and when that was the reason why the European Union was blocking negotiations with Croatia. Now, I can say it openly: we did not even know that Radovan Karadžić was spending his time in Čiovo and you can trust us when we say that we would want to catch him! 

Who knows whether one should be completely confident of that? Croatian and Serbian leaders were involved in trading all sorts of things in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Radovan Karadžić, together with Ivica Rajić, could have been protected by someone from the Croatian secret services while he was soaking himself in the Croatian Adriatic Sea. 

The fact that Radovan Karadžić was entering and leaving Croatia whenever he wanted, that he was preparing to go back to Split where he could witness Sanader’s famous rally to save Mirko Norac or some of the Pope’s visits to Dalmatia, is evidence of what sorts of secret services, paid from our taxes, we have.

It is scary if they did know that and even worse if they were entirely unaware of that fact. At that time they were rather busy and had their priorities such as following, prosecuting, intimidating and harassing journalists. Detention of Željko Peratović, confiscation of his work tools, obstruction of employment opportunities; blackmailing Helena Puljiz; breathing down Drago Hedl’s neck and intimidating him with the data collected by wiretapping Feral; stalking Pavelić, Đikić, Malić, Čičak and Butković -stalking them but not Karadžić.

It has been 53 days that somebody beat up and tried to kill journalist Duško Miljuš. It is futile to expect those agencies to help the police not to find a person who did that to Duško Miljuš, but the person who ordered that – the person who is evidently involved in subversive activities against the constitutional order in Croatia. Similarly, we have been waiting for 2884 days for them to say, not who murdered the Hague witness Milan Levar ( because they know that but the evidence do not find their way to the court), but again, who ordered it. Those would be the pieces of information for which they are paid. Instead of that, those agencies prosecute the information for which you pay. 

Inoslav Bešker RIMOVANJE , Jutarnji.hr, 25 July 2008, 

Legal lack of rights more dangerous than the illegal one

The situation is much more dangerous than I anticipated: some entirely impermissible actions in Croatia are not illegal but completely legal.

Violation of human and professional rights caused by the breach of law is definitely dangerous. However, the system has in-built mechanisms that are used to resist that and prosecute perpetrators. Violation of human and professional rights that is in accordance with the law is much more dangerous since it is an indicator that the system has in-built mechanisms that are favourable to such behaviour. It is similar to Stalin’s Soviet Union which had one of the most liberal constitutions in the world but, according to it, it was not illegal to put people, mostly communists, into concentration camps nor was it against the law to lock people up, primarily smarter ones, in mental hospitals.

Peratović case: Council for Civil Supervision of Security –Intelligence agencies held the opinion that, pursuant to Article 113 of the Act on Security and Intelligence system of the Republic of Croatia, it is entirely legal to detain and harass a citizen who is in this case a journalist. It is also legal to seize his work tools, such as computers with saved archives, and keep them for a longer period, suspect him of revealing state and military secrets without any foundation, and, in accordance with the above mentioned, it is utterly unfounded to doubt that his basic human and professional rights were violated by the above described procedures.  Consequently, working independently and keeping your own archive and using it in Croatia is not regarded as basic human and professional rights if civil servants do not like what you do or how you do it. 

Violation of  human and professional rights that is in accordance with the law is very dangerous since it is an indicator that the system has in-built mechanisms that are favourable to such a behaviour

 

The matter in case is the petition of Željko Peratović, an investigative journalist, which he submitted to the Council for Civil Supervision of Security –Intelligence agencies and the parliamentary Board for Internal Politics and National Security. In the petition, he asked for the protection of his human and professional rights. However, the petition, as we have seen, was rejected. 

As Freedom House reported, Peratović’s detention, together with breaking into Gordan Malić’s apartment and death threats directed at Robert Valdec, was mentioned as the reason why Croatia was placed at the 78th place of the world chart of media freedom. It should be also mentioned that the Croatian journalists’ association supported its member’s petition. The HND say that from the alleged SOA document which was released follows that the SOA was incriminating Peratović for his writing. 

Željko Peratović was professionally investigating the murder of Milan Levar, a witness to war crimes, and the obstruction of the investigation of Levar’s murderers for which he suspected the members of security-intelligence system.

Moreover, the non-denied analysis conducted by the SOA which dealt with Peratović’s work was released and it confirmed that the SOA “was decreasing damage” by infiltrating into the media space, making comments on blogs and other Internet pages.  

Naturally, it would not be for the first time that some state secret service was spreading (mis)information – it is also happening in Italy where the military espionage had a special department whose purpose was to misinform and slander – but that certainly is not the purpose for which citizens finance the service. In a decent world, it would be a shame and not the reason for earning salary and deserving a medal.

Pukanić case: The police, its internal control and one parliamentary board found that there was nothing illegal in preventing a citizen from informing journalists about something by using force, including handcuffs. The same citizen was then taken to a psychiatric hospital, where she does not belong in terms of the place of residence. The usual doctor’s procedure or any medical basis (as it was established by the follow-up specialist check-up) were lacking. The citizen was kept there under coercion for days.

This is naturally the case of Mirjana Pukanić.

The question is what her destiny would be like if the Croatian Helsinki Committee, a non-government organization, did not get involved. Unlike it, state authorities, as we have heard, were acting in accordance with the law.

The freedom of media is naturally the main goal of those legal but impermissible procedures but it is not the main victim. What is more endangered is civil freedom itself. If we are to believe the authorities that say that the law in Croatia enables and justifies pressures and threats to freedom that Željko Peratović and Mirjana Pukanić suffered – then it means that any of you, ladies and gentlemen, who voted for those who passed such laws and who pay taxes in order to finance all of that, can legally find himself in the same situation.

Inoslav Bešker, RIMOVANJE, Jutarnji.hr, 14 May 2008

Government of the Republic of Croatia
Trg svetog Marka 2
10 000 Zagreb
To the attention of: Dr Ivo Sanader, the Prime Minister
Dear Sir,
I am passing this civil petition on to you regarding the conduct of the Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA). The petition has also been forwarded to the Committee for Internal Politics and National Security and the Council for Civil Supervision of Intelligence Agencies. I would appreciate if you also, in accordance with your statutory authorities, joined in the stopping of a years-long SOA persecution that I have been exposed to. I am willing to inform international officials and the proper journalists associations and associations for civil rights protection, which are of vital Croatian national interests, on the results of your engagement and parliamentary investigation.
Yours faithfully,
Freelance journalist and blogger
Željko Peratović
Zvonigradska 33
10 000 Zagreb
Zagreb, 14 March, 2008.

Croatian Parliament
Trg Svetog Marka 6
10 000 Zagreb
Council for Civil Supervision of Security-Intelligence Agencies
Mile Ćulumović, the presidentParliamentary Committee for Internal Politics and National Security
Ranko Ostojić, the president

Subject: CIVIL PETITION AGAINST SOA CONDUCT

Dear Sir, my name is Željko Peratović. I am a freelance journalist and blogger from Zagreb. I am addressing you so that you, in accordance with your statutory obligations, take necessary actions regarding the protection of my basic human and professional rights and freedoms, Pursuant to Article 38 of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia. Following the conducted parliamentary investigation, in 2005 the Council and the Committee jointly concluded that «there is a reasonable doubt that POA (Counter-Intelligence Agency) violated those rights». The same have been systematically violated to date by SOA, a POA legal successor.

As you have probably learnt from the media, on 17 October, 2007, criminal investigators from the Zagreb Police Department searched my under-age daughter’s flat in which I live. I was arrested under the suspicion of disclosing (publishing) state and military secrets.

Besides DORH unofficial statements claiming that my arrest was the result of « a nonsense in the police» and president Stjepan Mesić saying that it was the police case so he did not want to declare himself since the police is not in his competence, I have been claiming from the start that the intimidation my family and I have been exposed to was initiated, supervised and mostly conducted by SOA.
Apart from indications and information I have personally received as the confirmation of the above mentioned, last week the following Internet sites:
http://cnn.blog.hr/2008/03/1624367674/soa-zeljko-peratovic-drzavni-je-neprijatelj-broj-jedan.html and http://pollitika.com/soa-zeljko-peratovic-drzavni-je-neprijatelj-broj-jedan,
published an article with the SOA accompanying documents, which, if authentic, confirm my suspicions I was stating regarding the role SOA had in the violation of my human and professional rights and freedoms.
Therefore, I request from the already mentioned Council and Committee to set up a joint commission that will verify the authenticity of documents published in the afore mentioned blog addresses, or, to be more accurate, located in the following hosting addresses:
http://img410.imageshack.us/my.php?image=str1kz9.gif ,
http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=str2am3.gif i http://www.divshare.com/download/3945111-7c5 and establish whether SOA has violated my, as well as the rights and freedoms of the other «suspects» who have been said to comment on 45 lines: Željko Bagić, Romano Bolković and Vjekoslav Brajović, and, accordingly, ask for the responsibility (including criminal liability) of the competent ones or establish that my objections have been unfounded.

The published documents point to SOA’s repeated and multi-type breaking the law. Besides being suspected of disclosing already released state and military secrets, which is a precedent as well as nonsense in the past repressive practice of the young Croatian country, I have also been incriminated by an accusation that I «was jeopardizing the safety of SOA employees by making their names and positions known». That is nothing but a doubt used to divert attention from the fact that I only mentioned the SOA employees’ identity in the context of articles on nepotism and corruption in the process of reorganization of the security-intelligence system and the personnel policy of Tomislav Karamarko, the SOA director. It is also one of Tomislav Karamarko’s personal motives for insisting on breaking the law and violation of my rights and freedoms.

The document titled « The analysis of the article/commentary background on blog 45 lines» clearly shows that SOA has continued to vilify me with its «interventions on blog», and even to suspect me of contributing to the Milan Levar, a witness to war crimes in Gospić, murder. On many occasions, I wrote and stated that Tomislav Karamarko, the current SOA director, who was the head of UNS (Office for National Security) at the time and after the murder of Milan Levar, participated in the obstruction of preliminary investigation activities connected to the mentioned murder. I hold that the «SOA intervention» on my blog saying that «I disclosed Milan Levar’s movement to suspects» is a direct pressure that SOA exerted on me in order to keep quiet as a potential witness in the investigation of Milan Levar’s murder. The comparison of the alleged SOA document and «SOA intervention» on 45 lines can be seen on the website:

http://peratovic.blog.hr/2008/03/1624374633/koga-bloga-soa.html.

Update, 16. 04. 2008:Amnesty International is particularly concerned about the slow pace of prosecutions for war crimes in Croatia and the apparent ethnic bias of investigations, most involving only Croatian Serb perpetrators. The organization is also worried about harassment and intimidation of victims and witnesses, as well as journalists reporting on war crimes. Croatian authorities have not made accountability for war crimes a clear political priority. The EU has a responsibility within the accession process to demand that they do so.

While in Brussels, Irene Khan will also introduce the screening of an Amnesty International film documenting impunity for war crimes in Croatia and address the European Policy Centre on EU asylum policies in the context of security.Amnesty.org, 15. 04. 2008

Parts of AI’s documentary: “Croatia: A Wall Of Silence” about cases Gospić, Levar and Peratović. Full video you must see under link. 

I have indirect information that SOA was illegally involved in the police procedures regarding my case. According to some sources close to SOA, Tomislav Milčić, the chief of staff, was personally appointed by Tomislav Karamarko to run the operation «45 lines». He was allegedly involved in the illegal search of my personal things, during which my digital camera’s memory card on which a part of the interview with the former agent of the Yugoslav secret agency SID, Josip Majerski, was destroyed (see http://peratovic.blog.hr/2008/01/1623938621/ipak-me-policija-naljutila-obracam-se-hhou.html).

According to my sources, Tomislav Milčić does not have proper qualifications needed for the job position to which he was appointed by Tomislav Karamarko, the SOA director. There is publicly available information according to which the German administration of justice, at some time, expressed its disapproval with the SOA employee, Tomislav Milčić, taking part in the Croatian authorities’ noncooperation regarding international legal help in the case of Krunoslav Prates being on trial as an accessory to the murder of emigrant Stjepan Đureković. These days, one of the German judges said that he would turn the Republic of Croatia to competent EU institutions on charges of the above mentioned noncooperation. Therefore, judging by this example of the head of staff in SOA, it is obvious that not only SOA statements, claiming that my articles are directed against national interests – accession of Croatia to the Euro-Atlantic integrations, are unfounded but, on the contrary. It is SOA conduct which is directed against accession of Croatia to the Euro-Atlantic Integrations.

There is a reasonable doubt that in my case, it is sources from SOA who were leaking information to the media. For better understanding, please check on the articles in Slobodna Dalmacija -
http://arhiv.slobodnadalmacija.hr/20071020/novosti02.asp and Nacional – http://www.nacional.hr/articles/view/39138/.

Therefore, I would like the addressees to carry out the parliamentary investigation into this case as soon as possible. Due to SOA illegal conduct, besides the above mentioned rights and freedoms pursuant to Article 38 of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, I have also been denied the right to work and I am afraid for my family and my physical existence in Croatia. I suggest the following to be summoned as potential witnesses:
1. Željko Peratović
2. Tomislav Karamarko
3. Josip Buljević
4. Tomislav Milčić
5. Romano Bolković
6. Željko Bagić
7. Vjekoslav Brajović
8. Jasna Babić
9. Berislav Jelinić

Due to multiple conflicts of interest which I am willing to explain in detail during the parliamentary hearing, it is my recommendation to prevent Mr Tomislav Matijević, the Committee secretary, of having any contact with the information of this petition.

Yours faithfully,

Freelance journalist and blogger

Željko Peratović

Zvonigradska 33

10 000 Zagreb

Note: I have informed the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia, the Government of the Republic of Croatia, CHC and CJA about this petition.

Harassment of Croatian reporter raises concernsEuropean Diary: The men in leather jackets came at 7am in the morning with pistols strapped to their backs. They confiscated four computers, a mobile phone, contact books and hundreds of documents belonging to the Croatian investigative journalist Zeljko Peratovic, writes Jamie Smyth

“They told my four-year-old daughter and my wife not to move and took everything from 15 years of investigative work – documents, cassettes and CDs,” says Peratovic, who spent the night in prison before being released earlier this month. Peratovic was detained on suspicion of disclosing state secrets on his internet blog, in a move demanded by both the head of the secret service and the office of the public prosecutor. His detention, which has taken place ahead of a general election scheduled for November 25th, has prompted public concerns over press freedom in Croatia, a country that wants to join the EU in 2009. The international journalist association Reporters Without Borders strongly condemned the arrest, which it said related to posts on the reporter’s blog.

Peratovic, who received a press freedom prize from the Austrian section of Reporters Without Borders in 2003, is best known for his reporting on the death of Milan Levar, a witness for the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Levar was killed by a car bomb in 2000 in Gospic, a town in southwest Croatia. Since then Peratovic has struggled to persuade mainstream newspapers in Croatia to accept his articles. He also alleges regular harassment by the Croatian secret service. “I think they arrested me for revenge and to try and find out who my informants are in the state services and the media,” Peratovic told The Irish Times. “The secret service has been bugging my phone, opening letters and following me because of my work, which has revealed links between top politicians and crimes in the 1990s.”

The reaction to the arrest from the public and from journalism associations has prompted Croatian prime minister Ivo Sanader to order an inquiry into the affair. It has also raised fears that Croatia’s past could re-emerge to damage its EU prospects. State harassment of journalists was common during the 1990s when Croatia was ruled with an iron grip by authoritarian president Franjo Tudjman. But in recent years the government led by Sanader has implemented several legislative reforms meant to guarantee freedom of the press. Indeed, last December the Organisation for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) in Europe ruled that enough progress had been made to enable it to conclude its work on press freedom.

“Political, but also commercial pressure on media will probably continue in Croatia, yet the mission believes that media institutions and the civil society sector have reached the point where they can assume the watchdog and advisory role,” says the OSCE’s Ljerka Drazenovic. “The fact that reactions from the media, media associations and civil society circles were so prompt and loud [ about Peratovic], tell that public awareness of protecting this democratic value is high. It is per se a good sign, indicating the achieved level of media freedom in Croatia will be preserved.” Under OSCE standards journalists should not be responsible for protecting state secrets or held accountable for publishing classified information. Only the officials who have a specific legal duty to maintain confidentiality may be held liable if they allow disclosures, says Drazenovic.

Just one important law on press freedom remains to be put in place in Croatia – legislation on the state Croatian Radio and Television network. This was put on hold until after the election because of political sensitivities. The government also needs to follow through on plans to set up a media council, says the OSCE. But new laws do not always change practice, and state control over some media is a real issue, says Ivan Butkovic, of the Croatian Association of Radio and Newspapers.

“Big media firms can resist political and commercial pressure, but at a local level there are issues in Croatia. For example 60 per cent of local radio stations are owned by local authorities. This means local politicians wield great influence,” he says. Josip Kregar, dean of the faculty of law at the University of Zagreb, agrees that control over local radio either by local politicians or entrepreneurs often gives them huge sway in local communities. He also highlights the growing commercial pressure on the media exerted by big companies, which can use advertising to control it. But he says the controversy over the arrest of Peratovic probably reflects problems with the Croatian secret service rather than political influence over the media. “There is freedom of the press in Croatia, but the secret service is not yet fully under political control,” says Kregar. “It is not one case with a journalist, but it is about a conspiracy network behind the secret service.” He points out that political oversight of the secret service will be critical when the EU comes to judge Croatia’s readiness to join. Peratovic, who is pledging to continue working as an investigate reporter in Croatia, gives his own assessment of Croatia’s readiness to join the 27-member club.

“With things like this happening to journalists how can we join the EU?” he asks.

The Irish Times, Dublin, Tuesday, October 30, 2007

18.10.07: Kroatien ROG-Preisträger Zeljko Peratovic in Kroatien verhaftet

Investigativer Journalist wird der „Preisgabe von Staatsgeheimnissen“ beschuldigt

Reporter ohne Grenzen Österreich ist in großer Sorge um den kroatischen Journalisten Zeljko Peratovic, der gestern Abend in Kroatien verhaftet wurde. Peratovic wurde 2003 für seinen investigativen Beitrag zur Aufarbeitung der kroatischen Kriegsverbrechen von ROG Österreich mit dem „Press Freedom Award“ ausgezeichnet.

Wie Peratovics Ehefrau ROG mitteilte, kam es gestern früh zunächst zu einer siebenstündigen Hausdurchsuchung, bei der auch drei Laptops, ein PC und schriftliche Unterlagen des Journalisten beschlagnahmt wurden. Peratovic wird vorgeworfen, in seinem Blog Staatsgeheimnisse preisgegeben zu haben.

Konkret soll es um einen Eintrag gehen, in dem auf eine für heute Abend (18.10., 20:10 h) geplante Sendung des kroatischen Staatsfernsehens namens “Brisani Prostor” hingewiesen wird. In der Sendung soll ein Interview mit Fatima Skula gezeigt werden, die als Zeugin des Internationalen Kriegsverbechertribunals in Den Haag über Kriegsverbrechen an Serben in der norddalmatischen Kleinstadtz Gospic berichtet hatte. Peratovic schreibt in seinem Eintrag: „Diese Sendung enthält authentische Aussagen über die Ereignisse in Gospic. Hauptverdächtige sind der verstorbene Verteidigungsminister Gojko Susak und der der HDZ-Sopitzenkandidat für die kroatischen Parlamentswahlen am 25. November, Ex-Vizepräsident Darko Milinovic (HDZ).

Was von dem gesamten Gespräch auch ausgestrahlt wird, werden wir am Donnerstag Abend wissen.“ Nach der Durchsuchung wurde Peratovic auf die Polizeiwache mitgenommen, wo er sechs Stunden lang in einem „informellen Gespräch“ befragt wurde. Der Journalist wartet nun auf die Einvernahme durch den Staatsanwalt, der entscheidet, ob Peratovic bis zu einem möglichen Gerichtsverfahren weiter in U-Haft bleiben muss. Die Höchststrafe für den Verrat von Staatsgeheimnissen beträgt drei Jahre Haft. Der 1966 geborene Journalist hatte bereits in den 90er-Jahren in den Wochenzeitungen Nacional und Globus über die Kriegsverbrechen in Gospic berichtet – zu einer Zeit, als 80 % der Kroaten der Meinung waren, dass die „eigene Seite“ keinerlei Kriegsverbrechen begangen hätte.

Peratovic war auch selbst Zeuge des Internationalen Kriegsverbrechertribunals für das ehemalige Jugoslawien. Einer seiner Informanten, ein Augenzeuge der Verbrechen und ebenfalls Zeuge des Tribunals, wurde später ermordet. Peratovic wurde wegen seiner Artikel immer wieder des „nationalen Verrats“ bezichtigt. 2003 wurde er von Extremisten bedroht und belästigt, einmal wurde er auf offener Straße von einem nicht verurteilten Kriegsverbrecher körperlich attackiert. Seine Frau und seine kleine Tochter zogen daraufhin aus Sicherheitsgründen in die Schweiz. Von seinem Arbeitgeber, der kroatischen Zeitung Vjesnik, wurde Peratovic im August 2005 fristlos entlassen. Offiziell wurde dieser Schritt damit begründet, dass er ein Interview für die Wochenzeitschrift Feral Tribune gemacht und veröffentlicht hatte, wozu er seinem Vertrag gemäß nicht berechtigt war.

Peratovic zog daraufhin zu seiner Familie in die Schweiz. Zu der gestrigen Verhaftung kam es im Zuge einer Kroatien-Reise der Familie. Peratovic hatte sich schon im Dezember 2006 an Reporter ohne Grenzen gewandt und dargelegt, dass er sich durch den kroatischen Geheimdienst verfolgt fühle und guten Grund zur Annahme habe, dass sein Telefon abgehört werde. Erst am 8. Oktober hatte er erneut in seinem Blog gepostet, dass er jüngsten Informationen zufolge wieder verstärkt durch den kroatischen Geheimdienst überwacht wird.

ROG, Presse / Aktuelle News

Giornalismo croato ancora sotto attacco

Il recente arresto del giornalista Zeljko Peratovic, sospettato di aver scoperto presunti segreti di stato poi pubblicati sul suo blog, ha riportato all’attenzione la libertŕ di stampa in Croazia.

Dura la reazione dell’Ordine dei giornalisti croati In Croazia l’arresto del giornalista indipendente Zeljko Peratovic, sospettato di aver scoperto presunti segreti di stato poi pubblicati sul suo blog, ha scatenato ormai da giorni una bufera che non accenna a placarsi. Questo “avvenimento inammissibile” – tale e stato definito l’arresto del giornalista dal Comitato di Helsinki croato per i diritti umani nella dichiarazione pubblica del 23 ottobre – ha di nuovo messo in primo piano la questione della libertŕ dei media croati, che fino alla fine del 1999, durante il governo dell’ex presidente croato Franjo Tudjman, è sempre stata sotto seria minaccia.

Peratovic, ex giornalista del settimanale politico “Globus” e poi del quotidiano “Vjesnik”, oggi giornale filo-governativo, è stato arrestato mercoledě scorso, dopo che la polizia con mandato di perquisizione del suo appartamento gli ha chiesto la consegna dei computer, dei cd e dell’archivio. Nel pomeriggio dello stesso giorno, la polizia ha fatto irruzione anche nei locali di TV Nova, una delle tre televisioni croate con la licenza nazionale, chiedendo che i tecnici dei computer cancellassero dal blog di Peratovic i due contenuti in questione. Questo perché TV Nova è proprietaria del server sul quale Peratovic aveva il suo blog. Quando giovedě scorso, dopo l’interrogatorio, la polizia lo ha rilasciato, Peratovic ha dichiarato che non gli è chiaro di quali presunti segreti statali si tratti. Uno dei documentati pubblicati sul suo blog “45 lines” si riferiva al pedinamento della polizia, di cui è stato oggetto insieme ad altri cinque giornalisti a causa dei testi su Ante Gotovina, il generale accusato dall’Aja per crimini di guerra e al tempo latitante. Gli altri due documenti sui contatti dei servizi segreti britannici con i servizi segreti croati non ha fatto che prenderli dai testi giŕ pubblicati dal settimanale “Nacional” e dal Hrvatski list. “Questi documenti sono stati pubblicati sui giornali e io li ho soltanto presi e pubblicati sul mio blog”, ha detto Peratovic.

Peratovic si occupava d’indagini scottanti, è il giornalista che ha scritto in modo piů dettagliato su Milan Levar, il testimone dell’Aja assassinato nel 2000. Levar aveva detto ai media quello che sapeva sul conto del generale Mirko Norac (sotto processo a Zagabria insieme al generale Rahim Ademi per crimini di guerra commessi nell’operazione Sacca di Medak) coinvolto nei crimini di Gospic, per i quali e stato condannato a 12 anni di carcere dal Tribunale distrettuale di Rijeka. Levar è stato ucciso in modo misterioso da una bomba davanti alla sua casa di Gospic è il suo assassino non è mai stato identificato.

Peratovic si è occupato anche dei temi della criminalita organizzata e spesso era in contatto anche con informatori del sottobosco croato. Temi dei suoi articoli sono stati il presidente Stjepan Mesic, il premier Ivo Sanader e il capo dei servizi segreti croati Tomislav Karamarko

Peratovic di recente ha pubblicato sul suo blog anche la testimonianza di una tale Fatima Skula che accusa pesantemente il vicepresidente del Parlamento croato Darko Milinovic (membro del partito di governo del premier Sanader, Unione democratica croata, HDZ) perché coinvolto nei crimini di guerra di Gospic.

L’arresto di Peratovic è presto diventato oggetto della campagna elettorale che, a fronte delle elezioni parlamentari in Croazia, fissate per il 25 novembre, si è giŕ infiammata alla grande. Dal Partito socialdemocratico (SDP) all’opposizione, che i sondaggi prevedono vincitore delle prossime elezioni, è giunta la seguente dichiarazione: “Di nuovo gli organi giudiziari, come alla fine degli anni novanta, si sono gettati contro i giornalisti invece di indirizzare la loro attivitŕ verso quelli che dall’interno degli organi statali consegnano i dati classificati ai giornalisti”. “Il mio punto di vista è noto e lo ripeterň di nuovo: io sono per una totale libertŕ dei media e, per quanto riguarda me e il mio governo, non possono esserci restrizioni di alcun tipo. Ovviamente la libertŕ dei media e la libertŕ in generale includono anche la responsabilitŕ di ciň che viene detto e scritto. Nessuno puň prescindere da questa responsabilitŕ, né i politici, né i giornalisti, né nessuno altro, ma io sto sempre dalla parte dei giornalisti”, ha detto Sanader promettendo un’indagine con la quale si accerterŕ in che modo si e giunti all’arresto del giornalista. “Lui [Sanader] e per la liberta dei media ma ama arrestare i giornalisti e a questi arresti e al maltrattamento partecipa anche il ministero diretto dal suo ministro (degli Affari Interni, Ivica Kirin)”, ha replicato a Sanader il capo del SDP, Zoran Milanovic. L’Ordine dei giornalisti croati ha reagito in modo severo all’arresto del loro membro, valutando questo gesto come “un drastico esempio di minaccia alle libertŕ giornalistiche in Croazia e come un’immemorabile pressione contro la liberta dei media e dei giornalisti”. Se sono stati minacciati dei segreti di stato, allora gli inquirenti dovrebbero occuparsi delle persone che passano i segreti e non dei giornalisti che li pubblicano”, fa sapere l’Ordine dei giornalisti croati.

L’editorialista dello “Jutarnji list” di Zagabria, Davor Butkovic afferma che l’arresto di Peratovic sia stato “un errore madornale” e aggiunge che una cosa del genere non accadeva nemmeno al tempo del presidente Franjo Tudjman, noto per il suo modo autoritario di governare e per il suo continuo conflitto con i giornalisti. “Lo Stato non deve arrestare i giornalisti a causa della loro attivita professionale, dunque nemmeno per la pubblicazione dei segreti di stato”, dice Butkovic.

Secondo il comunicato di Freedom House, che valuta lo stato di liberta dei media nel mondo, la Croazia l’anno scorso era al 87-imo posto insieme al Brasile, Timor Est e il Perů. Gli analisti avvertono che l’arresto dei giornalisti, come nel caso di Zeljko Peratovic, non contribuira di certo al miglioramento della gia bassa valutazione della Croazia ottenuta quest’anno.

Osservatorio Balcani, Da Osijek, scrive Drago Hedl, 25.10.2007<

Fokus, 1. září 2000

Případ Levar

Náš novinář telefonicky kontaktoval Milana Levara bezprostředně před jeho zavražděním. Tento vzrušující portrét je psán rukou jeho přítele a člověka dobře informovaného o temných hrách na chorvatském předsálí Haagu.

Svědectví o zavražděném příteli

Poslední rozhovor s Mićem
(Pozn. překladatele: Mićo je zdrobnělina chorvatského jména Milan)

Když mně v pondělí 28. srpna kolem 17 hodiny zavolal kolega a přítel z Nového listu Robert Frank a tázal se mě, zda mohu prověřit anonymní informaci, kterou obdržela jeho redakce, o tom, že Milan Levar spáchal sebevraždu, řekl jsem mu, že se mi nechce ztrácet čas hloupostmi. S Mićem jsem mluvil po telefonu toho dne kolem poledne a zdál se mi být odhodlán silněji něž kdykoliv předtím. Komentoval novinový výstup Mila Kosoviće, bývalého velitele brigády domobrany z Gospiće, jenž byl vedle generála Rahima Ademije „Pedro“ akce Medačská kapsa. Levara potěšila skutečnost, že Kosović „promluvil, i když řekl pouze setinu pravdy“. Uvedl: „Hroutí se vztahy mezi těmi, kteří jsou odpovědni za chorvatskou ostudu. Kosović nemluvil přímo o válečných zločinech, které byly při akci spáchány, avšak je vidět, že nepromluvil bezdůvodně. Bojí se o sebe a jmenuje generála Norace a ministra Šušaka představující dvě nařizovací linie v chorvatské armádě, a i to něco znamená. Alespoň to není jen sám Levar, který je připraven hovořit o těchto záležitostech“.

Mićo mě při této příležitosti upozornil na těžkou situaci, v níž se ocitla sestra Zdenka Ropce, jednoho z haagských svědků v případu Gospić, která kvůli trvalým výhrůžkám „pro bratrovu zradu“ našla dočasně útočiště v psychiatrické klinice. „Nemusíš o tom spát, ale je dobré, abys o tom věděl“, řekl mi. Postěžoval si mně na jednoho bývalého politika z Liky, „který věčně o něčem kalkuluje a o zločinech v Gospići je připraven promluvit jedině, pokud by byl přímo ohrožen, ale pochop, i on je odpovědný za určité události, ke kterým docházelo v Lice“.

Oznámil, že se brzy sejdeme a poslal mě za lidmi, od nichž bych mohl získat dokumenty o událostech v akci Medačská kapsa. Dodal ještě, že mi zavolá navečer, protože teď má nějakou práci v dílně.

Myslel, že je nezničitelný

Vzhledem k tomu, že Mićo Levar byl osobou se sklonem k černému humoru, rozhodl jsem se na konec, že mu zavolám a zeptám se ho, jestli je pravda, že se zabil.

Telefon v bytě ani mobilní telefony, které vlastnil, nikdo nezvedal. To mě znepokojilo, ale pomyslel jsem si, že je možné, že se náhle rozhodl někam cestovat s rodinou, ženou Vesnou a synem Leonem, k čemuž se nezřídka uchyloval. Možná se vydali do na koupání do Karlobagu.

Zavolal jsem jednomu společnému známému, bývalému příslušníkovi generálního štábu chorvatské armády, a v legraci jsem se ho zeptal, jestli slyšel fámu, že se Levar zabil. Odpověď mě ohromila: „Nezabil se, ale je mrtvý. Oznámila to před chvílí jeho žena Vesna. Stal se obětí exploze v jeho dílně“ …

Šokován jsem předal informaci Frankovi do Rijeky. Vše mi bylo jasné a vůbec jsem nepochyboval, že to byl atentát, i když brzy se ke mně dostaly informace, že příčinou jeho smrti bylo neopatrné zacházení s propanbutanovou lahví.

Pak mně v panice zavolal jeden Levarův přítel z války, pracovník jedné z chorvatských tajných služeb: „Zavraždili ho! Říkal jsem mu před několika dny, že se skutečně připravuje jeho likvidace a ať přestane vycházet na veřejnost. Zašel příliš daleko. Myslel si, že je nezničitelný. Neposlechl mě!“

Tajný agent jako pokažená deska opakoval, jak Mićovi v dobrém řekl, ať přestane v jeho slepém úsilí. S námahou jsem ukončil rozhovor.

Haagský svědek

Levar žil s vědomím, že bude zastaven vraždou. Ale jak a proč se mohlo stát, že ho zabili po 3. lednu (den změny mocenských sil v Chorvatsku, pozn. překladatele), z něhož měl radost jako malé dítě a mluvil o tom, že Chorvatsku zaklepal na dveře právní stát a že teď už nepotřebujeme haagský soud. „Naše zločiny budeme moci soudit v našem demokratickém a právním státě…“, řekl mi zářící radostí během krátké schůzky potom, co se jako Mesićův osobní přítel, účastnil jeho inaugurace do funkce prezidenta.

Milan Levar poskytl od roku 1992 do dnes stovku rozhovorů domácím i zahraničním médiím, a v roce 1997 vypovídal jako svědek u haagského soudu o událostech, ke kterým docházelo v roce 1991 v Gospići. Několikrát se pokoušeli spáchat na něj atentát, stříleli na jeho rodný dům, v němž žije jeho matka Katica, a na dvůr, na němž teď přišel o život. Dokonce se ho pokoušeli zavraždit jedem a od té doby nepil kávu s cukrem. V kapse nosil umělé sladidlo.

Před válkou se účastnit téměř každé pranice v Gospići. Z „letecké akademie“ v Mostaru ho vyloučili, protože v patnácti letech napadl jednoho kapitána, který se dotkl jeho chorvatské národní hrdosti.

Z války je znám jako energický bojovník. Bojoval v první linii obrany Gospiće společně asi s třemi desítkami lidí, kteří ještě v létě 1991, jako zásahový sbor Paji Šimiće, udržovali přední pozice ve směru k Ličskému Osiku.

Se smrtí se setkával velmi často, a proto byl jeho černý humor těžko pochopitelný lidem s citlivými žaludky. Smál se, když mně vyprávěl o hrobařích, kteří na zádech přenášeli polozapadlá těla obětí válečných zločinů a „červi o velikosti jednohubek lezli hrobníkům po zádech dolů“.

Řekl mi, že armádu opustil, když i on sám dostal rozkaz k zabití civilistů. „Nešel jsem do války, abych zabíjel babky jako ti, kteří si koupili své chorvatství za krev a peníze“, to byla věta, z níž si učinil rčení.

Mićo a vykupitelé z UDBAšské minulosti
(Pozn. překladatele: Udbašové = tajní agenti a spolupracovníci komunistické státní bezpečnosti komunistické Jugoslávie)

Alkoholu se nedotkl už patnáct let – od otcovy smrti. Jen káva a minerálka. Mohli jste si sním povídat hodiny a dívat se, jak pije tyto nápoje. Ti, kteří ho neměli rádi, v tom viděli znak toho, že Mićo není normální. Jeden bývalý politik HDZ mě letos v zimě, zatím co pil desáté pivo, přesvědčoval o tom, že Milan Levar není pořádný chlap, protože „správní muži nepijí minerální vodu“ a „kdo to může vydržet hodiny, má určitě kromě poškozeného fyzického zdraví narušené i zdraví duševní“.

Když jsem den před jeho smrtí rozmlouval na terase hotelu Dubrovník v Záhřebu o případu Medačská kapsa s dvojicí mužů z Liky, jedním tajným agentem i jedním bývalým vysokým politikem HDZ, oba se mě snažili přesvědčit, že Milan Levar je psychicky nemocný. Proč už konečně nepřestane mluvit? Svět se zakládá na dohodách. Proč nepřijme to, co se mu nabízí? Mohl by si dlouho krásně žít, kdyby byl chytrý. Copak si myslí, že je Ježíš?! Jen jeho řečmi se nic nedokáže, potřeba jsou písemné důkazy! Na území Liky jsou různé kosti ještě z dob Turků, na některých masových hrbech už rostou lesy!“

Už dřív jsem poznal, že ještě nedávní společníci se k němu odvracejí zády, a všechno to, co o něm říkali jeho dlouhodobí nepřátelé jsem přijímal, jako když mi někdo řekne dobrý den. Nijak zvlášť překvapen povídáním té dvojice mužů z Liky jsem mu přetlumočil část jejich rozhovoru. Nijak zvlášť se tomu nepodivil.

Poslal je k čertu s tvrzením, že „oni všichni se chtějí ze své špatné UDBA-minulosti vykoupit a nejsou o moc lepší než ti, kteří dávali příkazy nebo vykonávali zločiny. O zločinech mluví pouze z vlastního prospěchu nebo aby si vyřídili účty. Ubohé bude Chorvatsko, pokud se takoví opět budou podílet na moci.“

I přátelé se k němu otáčeli zády

Několikrát se mi, když by se rozzlobil na některého ze svých společníků, dokázal svěřit, kdo všechno z bývalých státních nebo vojenských špiček dal svědectví haagským vyšetřovatelům – „tajně, jako by si ochránili vlastní kůži“. A k tomu dodal: „já dělám vše veřejně a neobchoduji s cizím neštěstím jako různí falešní ochránci lidských práv“. Často se k němu přátelé otáčeli zády, když nemohli vydržet jeho nekompromisnost a vytrvalost.

Za zlé mu to měl i haagský soud i ty veřejně známé osoby, které z Chorvatska udržovaly blízké styky s úřadem žalobce v Haagu. Poté, co s dvojicí gospićských obránců, Zdenkem Ropcem a Zdenkem Bandou, v roce 1997 svědčil v Haagu a při této příležitosti se nedohodli na statusu chráněných haagských svědků, uspořádali tiskovou konferenci a nařkli soud pro neúčinnost.

Ropac, Bando a Levarův ochránce, policejní inspektor z Gospiće Tomislav Orešković, později přece jen odcestovali do Německa s údajnými zárukami haagského soudu, a Levar zůstal a mluvil o Gospići. Tak jsem ho i poznal na začátku minulého roku, když mně zatelefonoval a nabízel nové svědky a vyprávění o válečných zločinech v Lice, neboť měl dojem, že záležitost s Haagem je na mrtvém bodě.

Na základě několika textů, které jsem zveřejnil minulý rok bývalý státní žalobce Berislav Živković zahájil vyšetřování. Když letos na jaře odstupoval z funkce, Živković se právě tímto chválil, neboť za něj „státní zastupitelství reagovalo i na novinové nadpisy“.

Mezitím, ani v průběhu vyšetřování, ani poté, v dubnu, kdy haagští vyšetřovatelé započali s kopáním v okolí Gospiće, Milana Levara nikdo nevyzval, aby poskytl informace, jež měl.

Protivníci se ho báli. Báli se jeho fyzické síly, dovednosti a cílevědomosti. Nenosil pistoli k sebeobraně, jen skládací nůž. „Mají právo střelit po mně jen jednou. Když minou, vědí, co je čeká“, řekl mi při jedné příležitosti bez mrknutí okem. Byl si vědom své vznětlivé povahy a dobře věděl, že je třeba vyhýbat se „případným šarvátkám na ulici nebo v kavárně, proto se i snažil, aby se nedostal situace, kdy by někoho zabil nebo kdy on by byl zabit při vyřizování účtů, které by se označilo za obvyklou šarvátku.

Přesto ho zastavili

Ozval se mi loňské léto a nadával, že ho před chvílí zfackovala žena ulici. Uklidnil jsem ho a on pak pokračoval: „Právě jsem přijel k máminu domu, když z jednoho auta záhřebské poznávací značky vystoupila jedna drobná žena a zeptala se mě, jestli jsem Milan Levar. Zeptal jsem se jí, co potřebuje. A ona se rozzuřila jako fúrie a zfackovala mě, přitom křičela, že je žena Tihomira Oreškoviće a že já jsem jí svým štěkáním zničil rodinu. Nemohl jsem uvěřit tomu, že je Tiho takový zbabělec a pošle na mě svou ženu. Zavolal jsem ti, abych ho teď nemusel hledat po hospodách a abych neudělal nějakou hloupost, kvůli které by to, o čem jsem mluvil, přišlo nazmar“.

O Milanovi Levarovi si mnozí myslí, že je zrádcem a mají radost z jeho smrti. „Jestli jsem já zrádce, a bývalí gospićští Jugoslávci, komunisti a Srbové, kteří si změnili jména a příjmení, lepší Chorvaté než já, ať jsou. Já nikdy neustanu v úmyslu očistit můj chorvatský lid od špíny a obviním za zločiny jak konkrétní osoby z Chorvatska, tak i členy cizích tajných služeb, kteří jsou odpovědní za smrt stovek mých spoluobčanů Srbů i Chorvatů. Jestli jsem já zrádce proto, že nechci, aby celý můj lid byl v následujících padesáti letech označován za původce genocidy, ať jím jsem. V úsilí, aby se dostala pravda na světlo o tom, co všechno se zde dělo, mě nezastaví ani Haag, ani Washingtonm, ani Moskva a už vůbec ne nějací zdejší zbabělci a pitomci, jejichž inteligence je na úrovni pokojové teploty!“

Levara někteří považovali za cizího agenta a v tom spatřovali základy a motivy všeho, co dělal. Na taková obvinění nebral ohled. Jen by dodal: „Jaký jsem já tajný agent, který nenávidí tajemství. Všechna tajemství bych zakázal zákonem“.

Kdyby byl v Gospići v pondělí zabit kdokoliv druhý, Milan Levar by se už snažil, aby se veřejnost dozvěděla, jak byl zavražděn, kdo ho zavraždil a kdo vraždu objednal.

Mićo, stále ještě čekám, že mi zavoláš.

Since I , in August last year , got fired in Vjesnik, till now in Croatian media I didn’t manage to get a job. However, two months ago I got a demand for a private project: biography book about Radovan Smokvina, Croat who lives in Switzerland and whistleblower is in area of revealing truth about destiny of money which Croatian emigrants at the beginning of 90-es were putting on account in Villach (Austria) for defense of Croatia. Mr. Smokvina made criminal charges in Austria against at that time chief of Tudjman’s office, who is today only living subscriber of that account. The bank in Villach took off bank secret from that account and Mr. Smokvina got all printouts of the account. In Croatia it is not yet known what was the destiniy of that money – several hundreds of millions in dollars. Parallel to my work on that book, in Zagreb on trial to Hrvoje Petrac, suspect in kidnapping son of his ex friend, Vladimir Zagorec, was opened the question of those accounts and illegal trade of weapons. That question opened Petrac, who himself participated in illegal trade of weapons. He accused his former political partner, Vladimir Zagorec, for peculating huge amounts of money, reserved for buying of weapons, adding that he took 35 millions of euros from account of Austrian bank Bawag. The problem is that Mr. Petrac, who opened the this question, is on trial for kidnapping a child and this story has nothing to do with it. Besides, European union suspected Petrac as a main financial support for General Gotovina’s escape:

In August, Hrvoje Petrac, convicted in absentia for kidnap and implicated in the Gotovina support network, was extradited to Croatia. His retrial started in September. Croatia needs to take advantage of its work under the action plan to better tackle organised crime.

Croatia 2006 Progress Report, COM (2006) 649 final, 08/11/2006

The biggest problem is that President Stjepan Mesic come over to Petrac’s side, interfering in his trial process, demanding that jurisdiction investigate and punish Vladimir Zagorec as a war profiteer. Although to President Mesic all documentation from bank in Villach was delivered, about which Mr. Smokvina has documents, President wasn’t untill Petrac’s accusations against Zagorec, dealing with that case and wasn’t asking for an investigation about imigrants’ money. Meanwhile, a Croat from France, Marin Tomulic (during the war he also was dealing with import of weapons), in French court in Nanntere reported an attempt of assassination on himself. As an assassin he reported Marko Nikolic, a person who is already convicted in Croatia for a mob murder. As an orderer of murder of Marin Tomulic was reported Hrvoje Petrac, and as his political protector was reported Croatian President Stjepan Mesic. About all that I reported on my blog President of Croatia, Stjepan Mesic, in France, criminaly reported for attempt of assassination on Marin Tomulic, and the news were transfered by all media in Croatia: Novi list confirmed the story in 45 lines about French report against Mesic. President Mesic gave a statement about that which was in all media, and said that Marin Tomulic is a world criminal, and when his lawyer Ivan Jurasinovic come to Croatia, should visit madhouse . The lawyer of Marin Tomulic will because of that sue Croatian President in France, but also in Croatia, not only for insult but also for his esse because in Croatia, while it was a part of Yugoslavia, he was sending political opponents in madhouse (similar as in Russia). Since I am dealing with this case, the more intensive control of Croatian secret services is over my comunications.

I remind that I sued Croatia because I was suspected as a state enemy and cooperator of foreign secret services on disinforming of Carla Del Ponte about hiding of Gotovina. I also remind that I in my writings I was claiming that in Gotovina’s hiding, except Hrvoje Petrac, was involved also Croatian President Mesic. Because that I was a target of Croatian secret service.

Journalist suing Croatia for violation of human rights

The trial of a Croatian journalist who is suing the State of Croatia for alleged infringement of his human rights, acts of slander, damage to his reputation and intimidation, commenced on 12 April in Zagreb. Željko Peratović, a former journalist for the state-owned daily Vjesnik, claims he was subject to years of illegal surveillance by Croatia’s counter-intelligence agency POA, violating his right to privacy, freedom of speech and the right to work. He alleges he was then unfairly slandered by the former head of POA, Franjo Turek, in 2003. Mr. Peratović is claiming 800,000 HKN (€100, 800) in compensation.
In a controversial presentation shown to the President in 2003, the head of the POA, Turek, accused Mr. Peratović and five other journalists of endangering Croatia’s national security by collaborating with foreign secret services and diplomats. These accusations were later published in the national daily Večernji list and the political weekly Nacional. Mr. Peratović claims that his dismissal from Vjesnik in 2005 was mainly a result of the allegations against him. He has subsequently been unable to find employment.
Following the March 2005 findings of the Parliamentary Council for the Control of Secret Services, which determined that there were grounds to suspect that the POA had violated the constitutionally guaranteed human rights of the six journalists in question, Mr. Peratović decided to file a law suit. His initial offer of an out-of-court settlement was refused by the State. Lawyers representing the State argue that Croatia is not liable for damages suffered by the plaintiff.
OSCE Mission to Croatia, News in brief, page 3 of 4, 8 May 2006

 

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