A regional platform advocating media freedoms and security for journalists in the Western Balkans, representing more than 8,000 members, on Thursday strongly condemned the threats Croatian Veterans Affairs’ Minister Tomo Medved made against Index portal journalist Vojislav Mazzocco.

The platform called on relevant institutions to respond and publicly condemn Medved’s actions, adding that it would send letters to relevant Croatian institutions insisting that the case be thoroughly investigated and appropriate action taken.

Mazzocco filed a police report for a threat against Medved last weekend, saying Medved threatened him an a phone call not a day after Index published his article on Medved’s son getting a job in the state-owned security company AKD, which was last year contracted to protect the Veterans’ Affairs Ministry.

The minister later denied any threats were made, although he did not deny the phone call.

“Attacks and threats against journalists are a direct attack on the freedom of expression and people’s right to be informed. Any attack on reporters is an attack on public interest, democracy and rights of all citizens,” reads the regional platform’s statement signed by the journalists associations of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Serbia.

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