Court clears journalist in case brought at interior minister’s behest

Reporters Without Borders hails a Zagreb criminal court’s decision on 31 January to dismiss the charges that prosecutors had brought against the journalist Zeljko Peratovic at interior minister Tomislav Karamarko’s request (see the 26 November release.) For the past two years, Peratovic has been target of several prosecutions initiated by Karamarko accusing him variously of defamation, violating the confidentiality of a judicial investigation and divulging information liable to disturb public order (see the release of 15 January 2009). We hope that the criminal court’s logical and independent decision marks the end of the campaign to harass Peratovic.