Vienna, 28/09/2016
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) was concerned after learning that Sinisa Kovacic, general manager of the Croatian public broadcaster HRT, made public his proposals of dismissing two employees.
HRT journalist Sanja Mikleusevic Pavic was accused by Kovacic of “verbal offences” after co-signing a press release of the Croatian Journalist Association on 21 September. Kovacic stated that by doing so, the journalist violated several codes of the HRT Ethical Codex. However, sources say this was in fact a reaction to the press release, parts of which challenge the possibility of a prolonged term for Kovacic as general director. Despite the Ethical Council of HRT disagreeing with this, Kovacic punished the journalist with a pre-dismissal note.
Kovacic also began a procedure for the dismissal of Mirna Zidaric, president of the HRT Ethical Council.
SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.