Statement by the President of the Republic Zoran Milanovi\u0107 on the occasion of the amendments to the Penal Code being presented for parliamentary debate, by which a new criminal offense \u2013 the unauthorized disclosure of the content of an investigative or evidence collection process \u2013 is being introduced:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe proposed amendments to the Penal Code \u2013 correctly dubbed \u201cLex AP\u201d \u2013 introducing the disclosure of the content of an investigative or evidence collection process as a new criminal offense, undoubtedly amount to the introduction of state repression against all those who enable the Croatian public to learn facts about the illegal activities of individuals in the government. The amendments to the Penal Code aim to prevent public exposure of favouritism, crime and corruption, i.e. criminal offences committed by individuals in the government of Andrej Plenkovi\u0107. The disclosure of such information cannot jeopardize an investigation, as the proponent argues. Public availability of information from an investigation can only jeopardize individuals from the government. And this is exactly the reason why the Croatian Government proposed the introduction of a new criminal offence into the Penal Code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The manoeuvre by which journalists are formally exempted from accountability for disclosing the content of an investigative or evidence collection process does not change either the goal or the purpose of the proposed amendments to the Penal Code. Amendments to the Penal Code directly threaten all others \u2013 judicial officials, defendants, lawyers, witnesses, and expert witnesses \u2013 who can reveal to the public information about the illegal activities of individuals from the government. Journalists, who will not be held criminally responsible for the disclosed information, are being indirectly threatened \u2013 but they are being threatened \u2013 and they will be targeted by the prosecuting authorities, who will in various ways need to reveal the source of the published information. Journalists will not be accused; they will be intimidated and harassed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I have already publicly stated several times, I am against the introduction of criminal liability for the disclosure of the content of an investigative or evidence collection process. If the proposed amendments to the Penal Code are adopted and come into force, I will exceptionally use \u2013 in accordance with my constitutional powers \u2013 the institute of Presidential pardon for Croatian citizens who are targeted by this law and punished for revealing favouritism, crime and corruption in the government. No one in Croatia should be in fear and afraid to reveal to the public information about favouritism, crime and corruption in the government.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“As I have already publicly stated several times, I am against the introduction of criminal liability for the disclosure of the content of an investigative or evidence collection process. If the proposed amendments to the Penal Code are adopted and come into force, I will exceptionally use \u2013 in accordance with my constitutional powers \u2013 the institute of Presidential pardon for Croatian citizens who are targeted by this law and punished for revealing favouritism, crime and corruption in the government. No one in Croatia should be in fear and afraid to reveal to the public information about favouritism, crime and corruption in the government.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":27876,"template":"","news-cat":[12],"class_list":["post-27878","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-cat-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n