Croatia: Supreme court decision violates' union leaders' employment rights
IFJ Croatia labour rights union censorship
A Croatian Supreme Court decision published on 16 May said the extraordinary dismissal in 2018 of Hrvoje Zovko, president of the Croatian Journalists' Association (HND) by the Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) was legal. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Croatian Journalists' Association in denouncing an unfair decision and demanding justice for Zovko and the recognition of his labour rights.
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On 12 September 2018, Hrvoje Zovko decided to resign as deputy editor-in-chief of Croatia's public TV channel HTV4 while keeping his job as journalist. Hrvoje Zovko has worked as a journalist and an editor for public TV HRT for 20 years. In a statement he explained the reasons for his decision, citing pressure, censorship and unprofessional choices of topics. On 13 September, Zovko’s editor-in-chief, Katarina Perisa Cakarun, accepted his resignation as deputy editor-in-chief, while criticising his trade union involvement as chairman of HDN, a role he had recently taken. On 14 September, the management of HRT decided to launch an extraordinary dismissal procedure against Zovko as a journalist, on the basis of a report by Katarina Perisa Cakarun.

The IFJ and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) called on the management of HRT to stop the dismissal procedure, which was seen as an act of retaliation against Zovko, and an act of intimidation against all HRT journalists affiliated to CJA.

Hrvoje Zovko launched a legal battle against HRT, asserting that his dismissal was illegal and based on false allegations.

The Supreme Court decision, which was taken on 10 April 2024 but was published on 16 May, follows a series of judicial decisions.

On October 29, 2019, the Municipal Court in Zagreb, Croatia's capital, issued a non-final verdict declaring Zovko's dismissal unlawful. In 2020, the County Court in Rijeka upheld this ruling, rejecting HRT's appeal and confirming that Hrvoje Zovko's dismissal was unlawful. HRT was ordered to reinstate Zovko to his position as coordinator-editor in the Informative Media Service of HRT. HRT requested the Supreme Court to review the verdict.

The HND has called for support from allied organisations including the IFJ and its members. "We will stay strong and won't be silenced", HDN said, warning that Zovko will file a constitutional complaint against the Supreme Court decision."