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Alert

Journalist receives suspended three-month prison sentence for defamation

(RSF/IFEX) - On 11 November 2004, a court in Split, southern Croatia, sentenced journalist Vladimir Matijanic, of the weekly "Feral Tribune", to a suspended three-month prison sentence for defaming footballer Igor Stimac, suspected of involvement in criminal activities.

Reacting to this second prison sentence for a press offence since Croatia became an official candidate for European Union (EU) membership, RSF called the sentence a "serious setback" to the progress the country had made in press freedom over the past few years.

"Under recommendations from the United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), press offences should not be punished by prison terms," the organisation said.

Matijanic wrote a series of articles about criminal activity in the early 1990s in which Stimac is allegedly implicated. The journalist has said he will appeal the verdict.

On 12 July 2004, a Split court sentenced Ljubica Letinic, a journalist on state radio and television and an RSF correspondent, to a suspended two-month prison sentence for defamation of local businessman Jozo Parcina (see IFEX alert of 15 July 2004). This case is currently being heard by the Split Appeals Court.