Drago Hedl
Encyclopedia
Drago Hedl is a Croatia
n investigative journalist.
Drago Hedl was born in Osijek
. He graduated in literature in Zagreb University, and became a professional journalist in 1980.
Hedl is now investigative journalist for Zagreb-based daily Jutarnji list
. He was an Editor-in-Chief of Glas Slavonije
, an Osijek-based daily, from 1986 to 1991, and a war correspondent for Slobodna Dalmacija
, a Split-based daily, from 1991 to 1994. Following that, he joined IWPR's
London-based War Report and then spent several years leading training programs for young journalists throughout the Balkan region. Hedl later wrote for Feral Tribune
, and Novi list
. Hedl was a long-time collaborator of Radio Free Europe
. His articles were published by many newspapers and magazines, among them The Guardian
, The Times
and Die Wochenzeitung (Zurich).
Hedl is best known for his investigative work for Feral Tribune and from 2008 for Jutarnji list in uncovering war crime
s during the Croatian War of Independence
. This earned him a 2006 Knight International Journalism Award from the International Center for Journalists, 2008 the CEI-SEEMO Investigative Journalism Award by the Central European Initative and from the South East Europe Media Organisation and a 2011 Dr. Erhard Busek
Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe from the South East Europe Media Organisation.
"Drago Hedl has endured death threats, government litigation, beatings by local politicians and army soldiers, among others, and verbal abuse for his reporting of war crimes in Yugoslavia in the 1990s. His struggle against ultra-nationalism, wartime propaganda and hate speech, and for tolerance and the rule of law, has led to accusations of treason. His support for complying with demands to send indicted war criminals to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague has further provoked his opponents. Nothing, however, has deterred him from solid and objective coverage of a sensitive topic in his homeland." .
Hedl has written seven books and and has been the scriptwriter for three films, including Vukovar - poslednji rez (Vukovar – Final Cut), a 2006 documentary film about the Battle of Vukovar
. His most recent book, Glavaš - kronika jedne destrukcije (2010), an account of the involvement of warlord and politician Branimir Glavaš
in war crimes in Osijek, has been very favorably received.
Hedl has been married for eight years to Ivana, a fellow journalist, and has one son, Matija. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Yugoslav literature.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n investigative journalist.
Drago Hedl was born in Osijek
Osijek
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...
. He graduated in literature in Zagreb University, and became a professional journalist in 1980.
Hedl is now investigative journalist for Zagreb-based daily Jutarnji list
Jutarnji list
Jutarnji list is a daily newspaper in Croatia with a circulation of about 115,000 copies.It was launched in April 1998, becoming the first successful Croatian daily newspaper to appear since the 1950s. It was named after a Zagreb daily that used to circulate before WW2...
. He was an Editor-in-Chief of Glas Slavonije
Glas Slavonije
Glas Slavonije is a local daily newspaper in Slavonia, Croatia. , its average daily circulation is c. 9000, making it the 7th largest daily newspaper in Croatia.-External links:**...
, an Osijek-based daily, from 1986 to 1991, and a war correspondent for Slobodna Dalmacija
Slobodna Dalmacija
Slobodna Dalmacija is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Split.The first issue of Slobodna Dalmacija was published on June 17, 1943 by Tito's Partisans in a cave on Mosor, a mountain near Split, which was occupied by the Italian army during that time. The paper was later published in various...
, a Split-based daily, from 1991 to 1994. Following that, he joined IWPR's
Institute for War and Peace Reporting
Institute for War & Peace Reporting is an international media development charity, established in 1991. It runs major programmes in Afghanistan, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Iran, Iraq, the Balkans, Congo DRC, Tunisia and Uganda...
London-based War Report and then spent several years leading training programs for young journalists throughout the Balkan region. Hedl later wrote for Feral Tribune
Feral Tribune
Feral Tribune was a Croatian political weekly magazine. Based in Split, it first started as a political satire supplement in Nedjeljna Dalmacija before evolving into an independent satirical weekly paper in 1993...
, and Novi list
Novi list
Novi list is the oldest Croatian daily newspaper published in Rijeka. It is most read in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County of Croatia....
. Hedl was a long-time collaborator of Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East "where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed"...
. His articles were published by many newspapers and magazines, among them The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and Die Wochenzeitung (Zurich).
Hedl is best known for his investigative work for Feral Tribune and from 2008 for Jutarnji list in uncovering war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s during the Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
. This earned him a 2006 Knight International Journalism Award from the International Center for Journalists, 2008 the CEI-SEEMO Investigative Journalism Award by the Central European Initative and from the South East Europe Media Organisation and a 2011 Dr. Erhard Busek
Erhard Busek
Erhard Busek is a politician from the Christian-conservative People's Party . At present he is Coordinator of the South-Eastern Cooperative Initiative and Chairman of the Institute for Danube Region and Central Europe among other things.Busek was chief of the party and Vice-Chancellor of Austria...
Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe from the South East Europe Media Organisation.
"Drago Hedl has endured death threats, government litigation, beatings by local politicians and army soldiers, among others, and verbal abuse for his reporting of war crimes in Yugoslavia in the 1990s. His struggle against ultra-nationalism, wartime propaganda and hate speech, and for tolerance and the rule of law, has led to accusations of treason. His support for complying with demands to send indicted war criminals to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague has further provoked his opponents. Nothing, however, has deterred him from solid and objective coverage of a sensitive topic in his homeland." .
Hedl has written seven books and and has been the scriptwriter for three films, including Vukovar - poslednji rez (Vukovar – Final Cut), a 2006 documentary film about the Battle of Vukovar
Battle of Vukovar
The Battle of Vukovar was an 87-day siege of Vukovar in eastern Croatia by the Yugoslav People's Army , supported by various paramilitary forces from Serbia, between August and November 1991. Before the Croatian War of Independence the Baroque town was a prosperous, mixed community of Croats,...
. His most recent book, Glavaš - kronika jedne destrukcije (2010), an account of the involvement of warlord and politician Branimir Glavaš
Branimir Glavaš
Branimir Glavaš is a controversial Croatian right-wing politician and a convicted war criminal.Glavaš came to prominence in his home city of Osijek during the Croatian war of independence, when he led its defense and became a major general in the Croatian Army...
in war crimes in Osijek, has been very favorably received.
Hedl has been married for eight years to Ivana, a fellow journalist, and has one son, Matija. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Yugoslav literature.