I wrote to you only yesterday about widespread repression in Croatia, but here I am again with further information about the nature of this repression, at least in my own case. This letter is but an addendum to that which I sent you yesterday. Today’s Glas Istre (The Voice of Istria) carries a leading article about golf development in my municipality in Istria. One of the key claims in the article is that the new Croatian law concerning golf, which is about to be passed by the parliament, is an Istrian product. Namely, it is the Istrian golf lobby that is squarely behind it.

The article claims that a law firm from Istria has had major input in the new law. One of the leading lawyers from the firm is cited as saying that it has indeed played a significant part in the drafting of the law, which was entrusted to one of your ministries. Reportedly, among the firm’s clients there are a number of investors in golf development in Istria. Chances are the law firm is also representing the foreign investor in golf development in my own municipality.

Now, guess who is representing the mayor of my municipality, who has sued me for slander regarding conflict of interests in golf development? The very law firm from today’s article in Glas Istre. Which only goes to show what kind of rôle the mayor is playing in the Istrian golf lobby. And which also shows the very nature of the repressive government regime in this country: under the cover of law, politicians at all levels of government are colluding with investors, domestic or foreign. And they are colluding across the board with the help of the Croatian judicial system, which has long been under careful scrutiny of the European Union because of its repressive nature. Quod erat demonstrandum.