Manufaktura Torture
The Torture Factory

Summary/Abstract: The bank account of the satirical weekly Feral Tribune was frozen on 1st March 2002, further to condemnations by the regional Court of Zagreb, to fines amounting to € 27.183,- for " moral damage " and for "cosmopolitan opinions and views". Freezing the bank account together with the amount of the fines endanger for the Feral Tribune the possibility to keep on publishing in the future. The first indictment rests on an article written in 1993 by the historian of art Zvonko Maković, in which he analysed Marica Meštrović's incompetence in his management of Meštrović Foundation. While the author's analysis has been regarded as an acceptable form of public criticism, the magazine was heavily condemned for having published it. The second condemnation refers to an article written in 1996 by Viktor Ivančić, who was criticising the anti-Semitic and pro-fascist remarks of Željko Olujić, an attorney closely related to the former president Franjo Tudjman. Besides, this latter is conducting the defence of Marica Meštrović. The Court upholding the decision of the first proceeding, declared Viktor Ivančić guilty of having expressed "cosmopolitan opinions and views" and condemned the Feral Tribune to pay substantial damages to Željko Olujić. The term "cosmopolitan opinions and views" is unknown to the Croatian lawyers questioned and is surprised that it may justify a condemnation.

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