A Surreal Scene in Zagreb
29.10.05
Brian Gallagher
Pictured is the moment on 24 October when journalist Domagoj Margetic was served with documents from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia. This bizarre scene took place in the Café
Dubrovnik, in Zagreb’s famous Ban Jelacic square.
Margetic - whom the courier was unable to find at home
- is standing on the left. Seated, witnessing this
surreal event is (facing the camera) writer Brian
Gallagher, next to him is Mario Profaca, the famous
internet journalist and recipient of the Golden Candle
award for his efforts in promoting open source
intelligence.
Domagoj Margetic was, along with four other
journalists and one former Croatian intelligence
officer, are indicted by the ICTY for disclosing the
identity of a protected witness - a senior Croatian
politician - in the Blaskic trial. However, the ICTY
has itself named the witness on its own website before
any of the journalists, the witness has admitted to it
repeatedly in the media and his own website and many
other journalists have also disclosed the identity of
the witness, including London’s Institute of War and
Peace Reporting which has repeatedly disclosed the
identity of the witness, indeed prior to any of the
indicted, and still can be seen on their website.
The indicted journalists are severe critics of the
ICTY. Journalists who disclosed the identity even
before the indicted journalists but are supportive of
the ICTY have been left alone - demonstrating the
political basis of the indictments which has led to
semi-farcical scenes as that pictured.
The indictments set a dangerous precedent worldwide in
terms of prosecuting journalists for publishing
official documents that the powerful would prefer
remain secret.
Concerns over the indictment of the journalists have
been raised by many groups such as Reporters without
Borders and the Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe. (OSCE)