29.10.05
Pictured is the moment on 24 October when journalist Domagoj Margetic was served with documents from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. This bizarre scene took place in the Café Dubrovnik, in Zagreb’s famous Ban Jelacic square. Margetic - whom the courier was unable to find at home - is standing on the left. Seated, witnessing this surreal event is (facing the camera) writer Brian Gallagher, next to him is Mario Profaca, the famous internet journalist and recipient of the Golden Candle award for his efforts in promoting open source intelligence.
Domagoj Margetic was, along with four other journalists and one former Croatian intelligence officer, are indicted by the ICTY for disclosing the identity of a protected witness - a senior Croatian politician - in the Blaskic trial. However, the ICTY has itself named the witness on its own website before any of the journalists, the witness has admitted to it repeatedly in the media and his own website and many other journalists have also disclosed the identity of the witness, including London’s Institute of War and Peace Reporting which has repeatedly disclosed the identity of the witness, indeed prior to any of the indicted, and still can be seen on their website.
The indicted journalists are severe critics of the
ICTY. Journalists who disclosed the identity even before the indicted journalists
but are supportive of the ICTY have been left alone - demonstrating the political
basis of the indictments which has led to semi-farcical scenes as that pictured.
The indictments set a dangerous precedent worldwide in terms of prosecuting
journalists for publishing official documents that the powerful would prefer
remain secret.
Concerns over the indictment of the journalists have been raised by many groups
such as Reporters
without Borders and the Organisation
for Security and Cooperation in Europe.(OSCE)
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