ZAGREB, 5 Nov 2021 - The Croatian Writers Society (HDP) on Friday condemned institutional and non-institutional threats against its member, journalist Boris Dežulović, over a text in which he expressed solidarity with the Vukovar victims.

"The Croatian Writers Society most strongly condemns institutional and non-institutional threats against our renowned, internationally awarded journalist and writer Boris Dežulović, made over his article headlined 'F*ck Vukovar', published on the N1 broadcaster's website," the HDP says in a statement.

It notes that Dežulović was previously awarded for his text about the plight of Vukovar, having received one of the most important journalistic awards in Europe.

"He is directly threatened by reactions by some of the members of parliament, Vukovar Mayor Ivan Penava, the War Veterans Ministry and war veterans' associations, which claim the exclusive right to determine the borders of freedom of expression as well as of coming to terms with painful facts," the statement says.

Dežulović already has problems because of his public work and now he has been targeted by a campaign launched on social networks and by right-wing media outlets as well as state institutions that are putting a stamp of state, regime legitimacy on attempts to put his livelihood at risk, the HDP says.

Following harsh reactions to his article, Dežulović said on Wednesday that if there were Vukovar victims who felt offended, they were not offended by his article but by those who trade in their suffering, and that his article was about trade in the horrible sacrifice of Vukovar in the 1991-95 war.

The Homeland Movement party, led by Vukovar Mayor Ivana Penava, and the Ministry of War Veterans, claimed that with his article Dežulović "tried to degrade all victims of Vukovar and the Homeland War."

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