Justice Minister Ivan Malenica dispelled fears on Friday that reporters would be targeted by penalties for unauthorised disclosure of information from inquiries and evidentiary actions designated as non-public.

Malenica, who was attending the Croatian-French Days of Administrative Law in the Adriatic town of Split, told the press that the proposed penalisation referred solely to participants in the proceedings.

The penalties for disclosing information from proceedings at the stage when access to it is restricted and the public has no access, are intended to protect the rights of victims to privacy as well as presumption of innocence, he said.

The new legislative provision does not serve to deter reporters from reporting about criminal proceedings because judicial officials will be obliged to inform the public and media about the course of the proceedings, the minister explained.