The Croatian Journalists Association (HND) has said the Split municipal prosecutor's office's decision to dismiss a criminal complaint for malpractice in the treatment of reporter Vladimir Matijanic, who died in August 2022 from grave complications caused by COVID-19, is "a cover-up, as expected".

“The medically assisted murder of journalist Vladimir Matijanic was covered up, as anticipated, so that the main culprits do not bear any responsibility, including political, let alone moral, with the ardent help of the pro-regime State Attorney’s Office (DORH), headed by Attorney-General Zlata Hrvoj-Sipek,” the HND said on Monday in a comment on the decision by the Split municipal prosecutor’s office to dismiss a criminal complaint against several persons for malpractice in Matijanic’s treatment.

Based on an expert opinion of the Zagreb Faculty of Medicine and an inspection by the Ministry of Health, the prosecutors allege that there were no major omissions in Matijanic’s treatment and that his hospitalisation would not have prevented the fatal outcome.

The decision by the Split municipal prosecutor’s office does not contest in any part that in his last five days Matijanic was not given a proper examination and care, the HND says, noting that the 28-page document justifies lack of accountability for Matijanic’s death.

“We have thus a justification for the Emergency Medical Service headed by Leo Luetić, an HDZ member who right after Matijanic’s tragic death said that the emergency service did everything according to protocol in the case; there is also a justification for the immunologist who in May 2021 did not tell Matijanic not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 but just prolonged the scheduled vaccination,” the HND says.

“In other words, DORH is full of understanding for the conduct of staff at the KBC Split Hospital, which is headed by Julije Mestrovic,” the HND says, noting that the latest decision by DORH leads one to conclude that the patient was careless and irresponsible.

“It is an irrefutable fact that Vladimir Matijanic did not receive adequate medical attention and care for five days and he should have, it is an irrefutable fact that he needed a medicine and did not obtain it. DORH, which functions as a law firm representing the government, has with this decision just joined a number of individuals and institutions that have been trying for 16 months to cover up in every way possible the death of a citizen whom, as in case of many others, they should have helped, and failed to,” the HND says, noting that it would never accept the fact that there is no accountability in the case or let the case sink into oblivion.