Croatian journalists condemn “life-threatening attack” on colleagues

In a statement, the HND called on the authorities to “respond promptly, sharply and clearly to the life-threatening attack.”

It is a “drastic warning about the working conditions of journalists and all media workers, who are exposed to numerous verbal and even physical attacks on a daily basis,” it said.

Vrsaljko said in a post on Facebook that she was physically attacked by a man on Monday as she walked past his property, where an illegal garbage dump was being built.

She was accompanied by a cameraman.

Vrsaljko, who works for Faktograf.hr, posted a short video of the man’s attack on her Instagram page.

She also claimed that the man’s daughter broke into her house on Tuesday and attacked her.

The woman hit and strangled Vrsaljko while she tried to take her mobile phone away from her to delete her father’s recordings, the journalist said.

Vrsaljko finally managed to push the attacker away and call the police, who filed a complaint against the attacker.

Both Faktograf.hr and the European Fact-Checking Standard Network (EFCSN) condemned the attack.

Under Croatian law, an attack on a journalist can be punished with up to five years in prison.

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