ZAGREB, 29 Nov 2021 - Zagreb police have arrested a man who took an Al Jazeera reporter's microphone as she was reporting live from a recent protest against COVID certificates in Zagreb, and they filed a criminal report against him for using force against a person doing public interest work

Zagreb police officers have completed a criminal investigation into a 33-year-old man suspected of using force against a person doing public interest work or working in public service, the Zagreb Police Administration said on Monday.

Police have established the identity of the man who on 20 November, about 6 p.m., took the microphone from Al Jazeera Balkans reporter Nikolina Zavišić during a live broadcast from the protest against COVID certificates in the main city square.

Police today arrested the man and filed a criminal report against him with the competent state attorney's office.

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November 28, 2021 - The director of the KBC Sisters of Charity, one of the most important hospitals in Zagreb, spoke about the new coronavirus strain, hospitals situation, and protests against epidemiological measures in the capital, confirming that one of those who protested is hospitalized, and another young man in Dubrava as well.

The director of KBC Sisters of Charity Hospital, Davor Vagić, commented for N1 the appearance of a new variant of the coronavirus called omicron. Scientists consider this variant the most significant so far because the vaccine could be less effective, and it also seems to spread faster than delta strains, reports Net.hr.

"I am not worried, but I am careful. We analyze all the new information we get and see what needs to be done next. It definitely shows that this virus is not harmless, it is very dangerous and one should be careful not to spread and not get worse and this is a very serious situation", said Vagić the appearance of a new strain.

The president of the Homeland Movement, Ivan Penava, said the other day that ''bioterrorists'' are entering hospitals with COVID certificates, but Vagić claims that the measures in the hospitals are appropriate at the moment.

"The system is under a lot of pressure. The biggest pressure is on employees, COVID patients are difficult patients, they have difficulty moving, they need special health care and what we see now is the biggest pressure on nursing staff because it is one of the ones we have the least. There is huge pressure on the doctor as well. These people are doing hard and responsible work and in these two years we can say that in a way they are our heroes. If we talk about doctors, about 95 percent of them are vaccinated in Croatia. There is very little transfer of the virus, we don’t even see it and we can say that in some way hospitals are safe. Occasionally a transfer may occur, but this is negligible. The COVID confirmations are absolutely good", thinks the director of KBC Sisters of Charity.

“The health care system will certainly endure, rest assured. But it will be a huge burden, that's for sure", he added.

As for another protest against epidemiological measures taking place, he says he is saddened by it. "I don't think such things are necessary and that endangers the health of people who are protesting. They endanger themselves and others. We hospitalized one person from the protest, one young person was hospitalized in Dubrava as well. People can have an opinion, and the task of the profession, media, is to report what is best, what is true, to give people key information. The patient, the person must have all possible information. In the end, they are the ones who decide. There is perhaps too little talk about responsibility'', Vagić said.

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ZAGREB, 22 Nov 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Monday that the protest against the COVID-19 certificate mandate on Saturday was predominantly a political protest, described as shameful political profiteering from people's fears, COVID-19 deaths, and COVID-19 patients fighting for their lives.

He stressed that he also condemned attacks on reporters during the protest.

"I most strongly condemn the attack on your fellow reporter (Goran) Latković, it is a cowardly and brazen act and it is not clear to me why anyone would bring into question the right of reporters and media to report about a public event. I regret it happened and believe police will identify the perpetrators," Plenković told reporters during a visit to Slovenia.

Noting that it was not problematic to protest and express one's view or disagree with the measures the government was undertaking, Plenković said that the protest was nonetheless of a political nature.

"The gentlemen from the Bridge, the Homeland Movement, the remnants of the Human Shield, and the exhibitionist from the European Parliament whom no one knows there, (Croatian independent MEP Mislav) Kolakušić, have jumped on the bandwagon. (President Zoran) Milanović supported them before and afterward. He is the only president of an EU member country who openly opposes COVID-19 certificates and measures introduced by the government to protect public health," said Plenković.

As for protesters shouting that there was no coronavirus and that they were being denied their freedoms, Plenković said profiteering from people's fears was shameful and called on the protesters to visit an intensive care unit in a Croatian hospital where COVID-19 patients are being treated.

He repeated that vaccination is not mandatory and that testing is being offered as a non-invasive alternative.

"What is invasive about swabbing that lasts half a second? The sole purpose of the protest was to profit from COVID-19 deaths. There are people who try to profit from people's fears while themselves being afraid of a simple test," said Plenković.

Constitution protects Milanović but not his secretary and chief of staff

In a comment on decisions by individual local officials to defy restrictions imposed by the national COVID-19 response team, the PM said that in normal circumstances, everyone fights against disease but that there are know-it-alls who say that there is no coronavirus in Primošten, Sinj, and Čabar, a reference to the three towns' mayors.

"We are dealing here with petty politics and politicians who are sabotaging our measures designed to protect citizens," he added.

As for President Milanović's statements about COVID-19 certificates, Plenković said that the president was protected by the constitution but that his secretary and chief of staff were not.

In a comment on an announcement by the opposition Bridge party that it would organize a referendum on COVID-19 certificates, he said Bridge officials were "the biggest parasites" trying to profit from the current situation, adding that they should be asked if they had got vaccinated as "there are many who are making noise and have protected themselves."

As for a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights pointing to omissions by Croatian police in a case involving the death of a six-year-old Afghan migrant child, Plenković said that he regretted the tragic event and that he respected the ruling.

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ZAGREB, 22 Nov 2021 - President Zoran Milanović on Monday commented on an incident that had occurred during a protest against COVID certificates in Zagreb on Saturday, saying that attacks on journalists were outrageous and that the incident involved "a handful of louts".

"There were a lot of people at the protest. There were people who have nothing to do with this madness we have been listening to, who are educated, vaccinated, some of whom I know personally. They didn't come to hear that idiot Francišković or see some parliamentarians," he said.

He commented on COVID certificates in army barracks, questioning what can be achieved with them considering that most soldiers are vaccinated. "There are people who do not want to be tested, which I don't quite understand this, but which genius has studied how this impacts the combat readiness of our healthy and young soldiers," said Milanović.

Commenting further on the protest, Milanović assessed that it was chaotic because it was a "spontaneous revolt." He questioned what the point was of restrictions if vaccinated people can pass on the virus almost as much as those who have not been vaccinated.

"If we are doing all this because of overcrowded hospitals, then why didn't we prepare ourselves for this excess. It's inhumane to divide people into those who have been vaccinated and those who haven't," he said.

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