Croatia: Women Press Freedom Condemns Unjust Political Persecution of Dora Kršul and Colleagues at Telegram
Prime Minister attacks Dora Kršul for her investigation into government corruption
Location: Croatia, ZagrebDate: May 2, 2024
Photo Credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the ongoing political attacks against investigative journalist Dora Kršul and the Telegram editorial team. As an investigative journalist, Kršul has demonstrated exceptional dedication and ethical rigor, unveiling significant corruption within the Croatian government. Her investigative efforts, particularly into the misuse of EU funds by the Ministry of Culture, have not only exposed corrupt practices but have also led to the warranted arrest of implicated officials. However, instead of being lauded for her crucial role in promoting transparency and accountability, Kršul has faced disparaging attacks from the Croatian technical Prime Minister, Andrej Plenković. His attempts to discredit her work as "illegal" and politically motivated are unfounded and represent a direct assault on press freedom. Such accusations are a transparent effort to deflect from governmental misdeeds and undermine the validity of Kršul's findings, which have been substantiated by the European Prosecutor's Office. We express our firm support for Kršul and the Telegram team, and any attempts to undermine her credibility and the legitimacy of her reporting must be unequivocally denounced.
On May 2, 2024, the European Prosecutor's Office requested the arrest of key Croatian government figures implicated in a corruption scandal exposed by Telegram journalist Dora Kršul.
The arrests follow Kršul's rigorous investigation, which uncovered a financial scandal within the Ministry of Culture. The expose centered on corruption allegations within the Faculty of Geodesy at the University of Zagreb, particularly regarding the misuse of European funds allocated for projects. For her work, Kršul has been repeatedly attacked and undermined by politicians of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) government.
Following news of the arrests, the smear campaign against the journalist continued. Technical Prime Minister Andrej Plenković dismissed Kršul's revelations about the Ministry of Culture scandal, stating that they did not constitute investigative journalism but rather the “illegal” publication of investigation documents obtained through unauthorized means. He labeled her reporting politically motivated. Plenković's position is provisional, as the formation of a new government is pending after the recent election.
The Telegram editorial team expresse its absolute support for Kršul, and rejects the accusations of the technical Prime Minister as “incorrect,” “scandalous” and “democratically shameful.”
The impact of Kršul's reporting cannot be overstated. By exposing systemic corruption within the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) government, she has contributed to accountability and transparency in Croatia. Her months-long research involved extensive inquiries, requests for information, analysis of official documentation, and interviews with credible sources. The validation of her findings by European investigators further confirms the credibility and integrity of her work.
Women Press Freedom denounces the cynical attack on Dora Kršul by the technical Prime Minister. The journalist has faced a concerted discrediting campaign from politicians since her investigation was published. These attacks are an assault on press freedom and a barely concealed attempt to deflect attention from the HDZ’s wrongdoings. Instead of vilifying Kršul, the Croatian government should commend her and Telegram for their diligent reporting, which has exposed the misuse of EU funds and led to significant arrests. We call upon the EU to strongly denounce these attacks and urge the Croatian government to uphold press freedom and support the invaluable work of investigative journalists. Unjust assaults on journalists' integrity and reputation must stop immediately.
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