International NGO Coalition Condemns Whistleblower Extradition Fight
Immediate Release Monday 18 January 2021
We, the undersigned Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners, whistleblowing, human rights, transparency and journalist organisations are alarmed by the ongoing extradition proceedings against Jonathan Taylor in Croatia. On 4
th January 2020 the Dubrovnik County Court again ruled to extradite Jonathan to Monaco. In October 2020, the Croatian Supreme Court had partially sustained his appeal against an earlier decision in favour of extradition by the Dubrovnik Court.
As Jonathan Taylor continues to fight his case in the Croatian courts, we call on the Croatian and Monegasque authorities to immediately and unconditionally end the extradition proceedings against him; we call on the UK Government to intervene with their Croatian and Monegasque counterparts on Jonathan Taylor’s behalf; and we call on the European Parliament to condemn this ongoing harassment of a
It is more than a year since the bill was settled in one of the country s most well-known whistleblowing cases. Maurice McCabe suffered serious retaliation and a sustained smear campaign for his efforts to speak up about Garda malpractice. April 2019 saw the former sergeant settle proceedings against the State and Tusla, the child and family agency. The final bill was not disclosed, but significant legal costs were likely involved given the 11 sets of High Court proceedings that had to be dealt with.
Last September an RTÉ Investigates programme showed the high price faced by whistleblowers and their families when trying to expose uncomfortable truths. ESB s Seamus O’Loughlin described the financial and psychological impact: I am still out on my own engaged in a legal process that is costing us an absolute fortune .