Blogger-Reporter Arrested in Croatia

19 October 2007

On Wednesday, October 17, Croatian Police arrested �eljko Peratović, free-lance journalist and author of the 45. Lines blog, on suspicion that he gave away state secrets.

Peratović was detained for interrogation at 2:00 p.m. According to his wife Nada, the police came back to their appartment later that evening, about 8:00 p.m. with a search warrant. The search lasted for 14 hours and the police confiscated three laptop computers, a desktop PC and a number of allegedly incriminating documents.

Peratović, previously member of Globus weekly�s editorial team and collaborator of several other print media, uses his 45.Lines blog to publish articles and video footage on the subject of organized crime, war-crimes cover-up activities and manipulations in the work of security services.

He covered, among other topics, the case of Fatima Skula, former member of Croatian Armed Forces, fighter in the Homeland War and witness of war-crimes in Gospic. Her testimony (available on YouTube) presents serious accusations against Darko Milinovic, the vice-president of the recently dismissed Sabor.

Peratović has also written a lot about Tomislav Karamarko, the Director of Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA), and some media report that the search of his home was, in fact, conducted on request of the Agency.

The investigation against Peratović is conducted in cooperation with the District Prosecution Office, but neither the Police nor the Prosecution Office will give more details on their activities. Peratović spent the night at the Police precinct and is still in detention. It is not known at this time whether he was actually arrested or if he was invited for an interrogation as a suspect.