4th meeting of the Inter-state Diplomatic Commission...

Mr. Tonino Picula, the Croatian Foreign Minister, forwarded a reply to Mr. Freimut Duve, OESS representative for the freedom of media. In his previous letter to Minister Picula, Mr. Duve expressed his reserve regarding the amendments of the Croatian Criminal Law, which, according to his opinion, might affect the freedom of media in Croatia.

In his reply, Minister Picula emphasised that the motive of amendments was only to correct certain illogicalities in the past provisions that had no practical value.

As to the provision on the incrimination of slander, sanctions provided for by the Croatian Criminal Law are the mildest in comparison to those in some other developed European democracies.

Minister Picula advised Mr. Duve that these amendments included the abolition of Article 48 on criminal liability of editor-in-chief based on objective responsibility.

He added that the said motives, and the amendments themselves, demonstrate the efforts of the Croatian Government to adopt the best legal framework for the media, based on European values and norms.

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