Croat journalist dies in car bomb attack

A car-bomb exploded on Thursday outside the offices of a Croatian weekly in central Zagreb, killing the owner of the publication and the marketing director. Owner of Croatian weekly Nacional Ivo Pukanic and Marketing Director Niko Franjic were killed in the blast in central Zagreb. Croat journalist dies in car bomb attack Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and President Stjepan Mesic have condemned the murder. The bomb, placed under Pukanic’s car, exploded at 18:20 CET in central Zagreb. At the time of the explosion, the building housing Nacional’s Journalist School nearby was filled with students. A spokesman for the Croatian police, Krunoslav Borovec, has confirmed the identity of the victims, adding that two people had suffered minor injuries after the explosion. He said that more than 150 people had been questioned last night and that the investigation was still ongoing. Borovec told Croatian radio that Pukanic had been killed by professionals. The police reconstructed Pukanic’s movements yesterday, establishing that Pukanic had parked his car at 10:00 CET, and that he had used his motorcycle several times yesterday. "Tonight's assassination of journalist and publisher Ivo Pukanic and Nacional marketing expert Niko Franjic means that terrorism has entered the streets of Croatia's capital," Mesic said in a statement. "The criminal underground has confronted the rule of law and the whole system with a challenge we have not encountered so far," he said. The Croatian Journalists' Association (HND) voiced outrage at the murder and called on the authorities to "immediately declare a war on criminals and murderers." "What has occurred is horrible and it shows that crime is blossoming in Croatia," the HND said in a statement. A number of attacks have occurred in the Croatian capital in recent weeks, including the Mafia-style killing of Ivana Hodak, the daughter of a prominent lawyer earlier this month, after which Sanader sacked his interior and justice ministers, as well as his police chief . "The government and all institutions will fight the organized crime and terror that is entering Croatian streets with even more determination and ruthlessness," Sanader said, after Thursday's murder of Pukanic and Franjic. "We will not allow Croatia to become another Beirut," he added. Tackling organized crime is one of the criteria Croatia must meet on its path towards membership of the European Union. The HND journalists' association said that Pukanic, 47, was the first Croatian journalist to be killed locally since the 1991-1995 war. Zagreb police point out that Pukanic survived an assassination attempt six months ago, but that he did not report any further threats, which was why he was stripped of police protection two months ago. However, Novi List writes that Pukanic, only one day before his murder, had told Mesic that he had a feeling that someone was going to kill him, but had not gone into any details. Novi List notes that Mesic stressed that the assassination attempt on Pukanic had to be solved while speaking at a session of the National Security Council following Hodak’s murder. The Nacional owner hit the headlines in 2003 when he published an interview with former Croatian General Ante Gotovina, two years after he fled following his indictment for war crimes by The Hague Tribunal. Western media speculates that Pukanic was killed because he was close to certain criminal circles. Novi List journalist Ivica Djikic told B92 that the western media speculation that Pukanic’s murder was linked to some kind of criminal conflict was one of the possibilities. "There are two options—one is that he was killed because of his texts, the other that he got himself deeply involved with some dangerous people. Both these options are equally likely to be the motive for Pukanic’s murder, Djikic said. Puhanic's car after the explosion (index.hr)

Croat journalist dies in car bomb attack

Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and President Stjepan Mesić have condemned the murder.

The bomb, placed under Pukanić’s car, exploded at 18:20 CET in central Zagreb. At the time of the explosion, the building housing Nacional’s Journalist School nearby was filled with students.

A spokesman for the Croatian police, Krunoslav Borovec, has confirmed the identity of the victims, adding that two people had suffered minor injuries after the explosion. He said that more than 150 people had been questioned last night and that the investigation was still ongoing. Borovec told Croatian radio that Pukanić had been killed by professionals.

The police reconstructed Pukanić’s movements yesterday, establishing that Pukanić had parked his car at 10:00 CET, and that he had used his motorcycle several times yesterday.

"Tonight's assassination of journalist and publisher Ivo Pukanić and Nacional marketing expert Niko Franjić means that terrorism has entered the streets of Croatia's capital," Mesić said in a statement.

"The criminal underground has confronted the rule of law and the whole system with a challenge we have not encountered so far," he said.

The Croatian Journalists' Association (HND) voiced outrage at the murder and called on the authorities to "immediately declare a war on criminals and murderers."

"What has occurred is horrible and it shows that crime is blossoming in Croatia," the HND said in a statement.

A number of attacks have occurred in the Croatian capital in recent weeks, including the Mafia-style killing of Ivana Hodak, the daughter of a prominent lawyer earlier this month, after which Sanader sacked his interior and justice ministers, as well as his police chief .

"The government and all institutions will fight the organized crime and terror that is entering Croatian streets with even more determination and ruthlessness," Sanader said, after Thursday's murder of Pukanić and Franjić.

"We will not allow Croatia to become another Beirut," he added.

Tackling organized crime is one of the criteria Croatia must meet on its path towards membership of the European Union.

The HND journalists' association said that Pukanić, 47, was the first Croatian journalist to be killed locally since the 1991-1995 war.

Zagreb police point out that Pukanić survived an assassination attempt six months ago, but that he did not report any further threats, which was why he was stripped of police protection two months ago.

However, Novi List writes that Pukanić, only one day before his murder, had told Mesić that he had a feeling that someone was going to kill him, but had not gone into any details.

Novi List notes that Mesić stressed that the assassination attempt on Pukanić had to be solved while speaking at a session of the National Security Council following Hodak’s murder.

The Nacional owner hit the headlines in 2003 when he published an interview with former Croatian General Ante Gotovina, two years after he fled following his indictment for war crimes by The Hague Tribunal.

Western media speculates that Pukanić was killed because he was close to certain criminal circles.

Novi List journalist Ivica Đikić told B92 that the western media speculation that Pukanić’s murder was linked to some kind of criminal conflict was one of the possibilities.

"There are two options—one is that he was killed because of his texts, the other that he got himself deeply involved with some dangerous people. Both these options are equally likely to be the motive for Pukanić’s murder, Đikić said.