OSCE media freedom watchdog condemns killing of two journalists in Croatia

VIENNA, 24 October 2008 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, condemned today the recent killing of two journalists in Zagreb and called on Croatian authorities to work to ensure that journalists can carry out their work safely.

Ivo Pukanic, the owner of the leading investigative weekly newspaper Nacional and Niko Franic, the paper's marketing executive, were killed by a bomb blast on Thursday. Nacional has covered corruption and human rights abuses.

"It is shocking that Croatia has lost two prominent media workers. This shows once again that journalism is still a very dangerous profession in some parts of the OSCE region," said Haraszti. "This crime represents a wave of terror against media that are striving to accomplish an indispensable job in exposing wrongdoing."

Pukanic had been considered one of Croatia's most fearless investigative journalists. In April, he survived a gun attack in central Zagreb.

"I welcome the authorities' pledge to punish the perpetrators of this outrageous crime. The Government has to stop violence against journalists to protect democracy," Haraszti said.