"While the EU said the government had made substantial progress on several issues-including the resolution of border disputes, the institution of refugee property rights, and improved cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia-some journalists feared the country was sliding back toward the lawless 1990s, when the ruling nationalist HDZ party suppressed independent news reporting," this nongovernmental organisation said in a two-page section on Croatia.

"Police remained inconsistent in investigating attacks against journalists, several of whom faced threats after reporting on government corruption," the Croatia section reads.

According to the CPJ "some hope" is offered by "major breakthrough" in the case of investigating the 2008 assassination of Ivo Pukanic and Niko Franjic from the Nacional weekly.

"Violence against journalists continued, however, in 2009," and the report mentions the case of reporter Stjepan Mesaric of the weekly Medjimurske Novine in the northern city of Cakovec who was physically attacked "allegedly by the son of a local businessman, according to local press reports. Mesaric had just written an article about corruption in the local construction industry. Police did not charge the man who Mesaric said had punched him, and the journalist told CPJ in a telephone interview that he continued to receive threats from the alleged assailant. Police did not explain the lack of action."

"At least two other journalists were under police protection in 2009 after their coverage of government corruption had elicited threats. Hrvoje Appelt of the Zagreb weekly Globus began receiving anonymous death threats in late 2008 while examining the personal business activities of then-Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, according to local press reports."

"Dusan Miljus received a threatening letter in March 2009 after publishing allegations that business leaders and government officials were involved in illegal arms trafficking, according to local press reports. Police reported no progress in solving a June 2008 attack against Miljus that left him with a concussion, a broken arm, and facial bruises."

"Croatia has been hit by a wave of violence in recent years, reflecting Sanader"s reluctance to crack down on widespread organized crime and government corruption, some of it linked to his allies in the HDZ. The HDZ remained on the defensive for much of the year, struggling with the effects of the global economic crisis and losing political control of several major cities in May municipal elections."

The attention of Sanader's successor, Jadranka Kosor, was "focused on the economy and the country"s border dispute with Slovenia," and she "took no significant press-related actions," the CPJ said.

The "Attacks on the Press 2009" report reads that 71 reporters were killed worldwide last year.