Croatian Ministry of Environment attempts to shut down Friends of the Earth Croatia with court case over peaceful protest action!
The Croatian Ministry of the Environment, Spatial Planning and Construction
has launched a case at the Court of Offences in Zagreb against the biggest
Croatian Environmental NGO, Zelena akcija / Friends of the Earth Croatia,
threatening its closure with a fine of 50 000 to 110 000 euros for a
peaceful protest action held in front of the Ministry on 12th March 2009.
The action consisted of a small group of activists exhibiting empty cans of
paint and varnish in the shape of a question mark for 7 hours in front of
the Ministry to protest at the Ministry's failure to implement the Waste Act
and provide collection points for waste paint. The Ministry, however, in its
statement described it as illegal dumping of waste, which carries a fine of
50 000 to 110 000 euros - a sum which would bankrupt the NGO.
Ironically, the action was successful and led to the provision of free waste
paint disposal services at the recycling yards in Zagreb.
"The Ministry must drop the court case immediately and concentrate on the
real polluters", said Tomislav Tomasevic the President of the Zelena akcija
/ FoE Croatia. "A fine of 50 000 - 110 000 euros for a peaceful protest
action is ridiculous, particularly considering that Croatian oil company INA
was fined just 15 000 euros in 2005 for decades of choking air pollution in
the city of Sisak, and even then the judge imposing the fine was removed
from his position afterwards".
"It is hard to see this court case as anything other than an attempt by the
Ministry to silence the biggest and most successful environmental NGO in
Croatia," added Jagoda Munic, the Vice-President of the NGO. "It is an
embarrassing step backwards for a government which sees itself as leading
the country towards EU membership".
Zelena akcija / FoE Croatia also calls on the Prime Minister Ms. Jadranka
Kosor to take action against the politically responsible people in the
Ministry.
Contact:
Tomislav Tomašević, president of Zelena akcija / FoE Croatia, +385 98
719253, tomislav@zelena-akcija.hr
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Performance that provoked the court case
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News 
Representatives of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Physical
Planning and Construction confirmed last Friday that they are refusing to
withdraw the disciplinary process against Green Action/Friends of the Earth
Croatia while Croatian Government so far remains silent about the whole
case. Therefore it seems that Green Action will have to face Ministry
accusations at court whose verdict could, in the worst case, threaten the
NGO with the fine of 800 000 hrk (or approximatelly 110 000 euros). Numerous
Croatian and foreign NGOs are giving their public support to the Green
Action. Justice and Environment (Network of European environmental law
organizations) also expressed their support to Green Action and stated that
such exercise of rights from the Croatian state authorities represents
violation of the Aarhus Convention, ratified by Croatia in 2007, and makes
possible opening of the procedure against Croatia in front of the
international bodies.
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