Court rulings issue penalties to Serbian media and Croatian forest park

In Serbia, the news portal Portal 021 has been ordered by a first-instance court to pay 70,000 dinars in non-material damages to Nemanja Šarović, plus 85,000 dinars in legal costs. The lawsuit stemmed from the portal's reporting of a statement made by Ana Brnabić, the President of the Serbian Parliament, who referred to Šarović as ‘Đilas's mercenary’. While defense lawyers argued that the media should not be held responsible for the statements of third parties, the court ruled that the publication failed to exercise due journalistic care and harmed the plaintiff's dignity.

In Croatia, the institution Park šuma Marjan and its former director, Marko Pejnović, have been fined for labor law violations. The institution was fined 12,000 euros and Pejnović 1,500 euros. The violations included failing to properly inform the union representative about business operations and organizational changes, failing to consult the workers' council regarding dismissals, and allowing cleaning staff to work more than 50 overtime hours per week.