Croatian police arrested a 44-year-old Croatian national and a 56-year-old Slovenian national for threatening state television reporter Maja Sever and judge Sandra Artukovic, state agency Hina said on Wednesday carrying a press release from the Sibenik-Knin County Police Department.

The incident happened on 1 August on the island of Tijat, where Sever and Artukovic – who is also a former deputy justice minister – reportedly went to check if the Spirito restaurant, recently closed by the state inspectorate because it did not meet the minimum technical requirements, was open in spite of the ban.

According to witnesses, the two women were attacked by the restaurant’s owner, who seized their cell phone and threw it away.

The police said the two suspects repeatedly lunged with their boat at the boat with the two women and threatened them, with one of them taking Sever’s cell phone. The phone was returned to the reporter later the same day, police said.