The newly established initiative Za Hrvatsku slobode (For a Free Croatia) expresses deep concern over the decision to cancel the Oglede festival in Velika Gorica, which points to a troubling trend of restricting freedom of expression and artistic activity in Croatia.
This situation is a clear sign that fear spreads faster than any song. No political or interest group should have the right to arbitrarily decide what is “worthy” of our towns and who may or may not perform. The initiative For a Free Croatia, which brings together numerous artists, journalists, the academic and scientific community, civil society and trade unions, calls on the Government to prevent any undermining of artistic and journalistic freedoms.
The appeal to the Government, titled The Constitution Applies to All – The Government Must Prevent Any Threat to Artistic and Journalistic Freedoms, has so far been signed by 175 civil society organisations, trade unions, and institutions, as well as more than 1,200 individuals. The initiative For a Free Croatia invites citizens to support this appeal with their signatures.
The initiative stresses that it is speaking out because this is a matter of the survival of fundamental standards, and the paralysis of the so-called state apparatus, which is unable or no longer willing to safeguard the basic preconditions of society: law and order, and the constitutional framework.
The initiative For a Free Croatia calls on the Government to stop trivialising the threats to democracy we witness daily. We are witnessing the cancellation of yet another cultural festival, as well as demands to cancel another concert. Before this, the Nosi se festival was cancelled, and there were attacks and threats directed at female journalists and artists. A recent statement in Parliament by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Tomo Medved – that veterans would need to be consulted when organising festivals – constitutes a grave encroachment on artistic freedoms as well as the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of expression and opinion. If art is censored and only one acceptable form of artistic expression and creation is imposed on the public, constitutional values and democracy are abolished.
The letter to the Government of the Republic of Croatia has so far been signed by numerous actors, including Alma Prica, Adrijan Pezdirc, Dora Lipovčan, Goran Bogdan, Goran Navojec, Janko Popović Volarić, Ksenija Marinković, Lana Barić, Nataša Janjić Medančić, Jelena Perčin, Darija Lorencin, Barbara Nola, Tihana Lazović and Kristijan Ugrina; and directors such as Nebojša Slijepčević, Nenad Puhovski, Jakov Nola, Hrvoje Korbar, Hrvoje Hribar, Ivan Ramljak, Čejen Černić Čanak, Vlatka Vorkapić, Sonja Tarokić and Dana Budisavljević.
Writers Miljenko Jergović, Roman Simić, Monika Herceg, Kristian Novak, Ivica Đikić, Sibila Petlevski and Ivana Sajko have also supported the appeal, along with university professors Zlata Đurđević, Zrinjka Peruško, Nebojša Blanuša, Davorka Matić, Ksenija Klasnić, Marija Škaričić, Marin Lukanović, Dario Čepo, Maja Munivrana, Marko Vučetić, Nadežda Čačinovič and Dražen Lalić; musicians Severina Vučković, Sara Renar, Ivana Galić, Dina Puhovski, as well as Aleksandar Antić, Antun Aleksa and Viktor Lipić; and athletes Zoran Čutura and Danko Cvjetićanin.
Among the signatories are also numerous professional, artistic and human rights organisations and initiatives, as well as trade unions: the Croatian Journalists’ Association, the Croatian Trade Union of Journalists, the Union of Education, Media and Culture Workers, the SKUPA Union, the Croatian Writers’ Society, the Association of Anti-Fascist Fighters and Anti-Fascists of Zagreb County and the City of Zagreb, the Croatian Producers’ Association, the Alliance of Associations Clubture, Documenta, Gong, the Croatian Youth Network, CROSOL, Club Močvara, KSET, INmusic Festival and many others.
All organisations, institutions and individuals who have supported the appeal so far can be found here. The full text of the letter can be read here.
