Live News - A Survival Guide - International Federation of Journalists

Live News — A Survival Guide for Journalistsing its voice through this protest against all types of pressure andstands in defence of the dignity of journalism as a profession.Therefore, dear colleagues, instead of silence we call on you loudlyto express our revolt. Because Macedonia journalism must not bekept silent! If you want to beat someone up, here we are, beat us!”SloveniaOn February 28 2001, Miro Petek parked his car outside his homenear the northern city of Slovenj Gradec in Slovenia. As he walkedthe few steps from his car to his house he was attacked and savagelybeaten. His nose and both cheekbones were crushed, his jawbonewas broken and there were several cracks to his skull. He lost hissense of smell and his eyesight was damaged. He later wrote: “Itwas like a classic gangster film. I tried to shield my head with myarms; I saw nothing but the legs kicking me. The attack was executedbrutally, the way professionals do it — quietly without saying aword.”Miro Petek is an investigative reporter for the leading Slovenenewspaper, Vecer. He had exposed wrong doings in companies inthe Korosko region of Slovenia and had written about a criminalinvestigation into tax evasion on a grand scale. From the nature ofthe attack it was clear that he had been targeted as a journalist,and immediately after the attack took place, the Director Generalof the Slovene Police, Marko Pogorevc, said that they were “breathingdown the necks” of the perpetrators. However, two years laterno arrests had been made.The investigation was criticised. The crime scene had not beenwell secured and vital clues couldhave been trampled under foot.There was evidence that some ofthe people whose homes wereraided seemed to be well preparedfor the event, and speculationthat they had connections withstaff at the prosecutor’s office orat the court. Despite the high-profileof the case, the investigationwas left in the hands of local prosecutorsand police, although theGeneral Director of Police waskept informed and he reportedMiro Petek is transferred to hospitalfollowing the attack that left himseriously injured outside his home inFebruary 2001.107