2 October 2001

Alert

IFJ concerned over lack of progress in investigation of attack on journalist


Incident details

Miro Petek

journalist(s)

attacked


(IFJ/IFEX) - In a 1 October 2001 letter to President Milan Kucan, IFJ expressed concern over the lack of progress made by the investigation into the attack against Miro Petek.




According to IFJ's information, Petek, an investigative journalist for the daily "Vecer", was brutally beaten outside his house on 28 February. His nose, skull, jaw and cheek-bones were all fractured, he lost his sense of smell and damaged his eyesight. Petek had published a number of articles on corruption between local businessmen and the local authorities including the police.

Despite public assurances from Marko Pogorevec, head of the Slovene Police, that the attackers would soon be caught, no progress has been made in the case. Furthermore on 3 September, the police accused the media of being responsible for the inefficiency of the police.

According to IFJ, in a democracy investigative journalists play a crucial role in exposing corruption and the forces that undermine that democracy. In doing so they also expose themselves to great personal risk. For this reason it is essential that the authorities give proper protection to journalists receiving threats and fully investigate any attack against a journalist that may be linked to their investigative work.

Recommended Action


Send appeals to the president:
- urging him to ensure that the police redouble their efforts to bring the attackers to justice and fully investigate any leads linking the attackers to the articles published
- noting that should the police fail to identify the perpetrators it may be necessary to launch an independent inquiry into the case, not least because the police themselves were implicated in the corruption scandals published by Petek




Appeals To


Milan Kucan
President of the Republic of Slovenia
Erjavceva 17
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
E-mail: spela.furlan@up-rs.si

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.









Source:

International Federation of Journalists
International Press Centre, Residence Palace
Bloc C, second floor, Rue de la Loi, 155
1040 Brussels
Belgium
Phone: +32 2 2352207
Fax: +32 2 2352219
 

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Updates to this story

IFJ calls on authorities to initiate independent investigation into brutal attack against journalist 14 June 2002

Slovenia

Journalist reports alleged death threat from mayor's son 15 October 2010 Concerns over reporter source protection 17 December 2009 Court overturns gag order against "Dnevnik" newspaper 8 October 2009 Court rejects appeal against gag order, IPI concerned at broad nature of injunction 10 September 2009 Temporary injunction slapped on daily over businessman corruption allegations 20 August 2009 See all alerts: Slovenia


 
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