Request for the waiver of the immunity of Ivan Jakovčic

The Committee on Legal Affairs adopted the report by Tadeusz ZWIEFKA (EPP, PL) in which it recommended the European Parliament to decide to waive the immunity of Ivan JAKOVČIĆ (ADLE, HR).

The lawyer of a private plaintiff has requested the waiver of the parliamentary immunity of a Member of the European Parliament, Ivan Jakovčić, in connection with legal proceedings concerning an alleged offence of defamation.

The request for waiver relates to criminal proceedings instituted against Mr Jakovčić under Article 147(1) and (2) of the Croatian Criminal Code in connection with defamatory statements that he is alleged to have made in an interview with HRT Croatian Radiotelevision on 22 July 2014.

Members recalled that Mr Jakovčić was a Member of the European Parliament at the time of the interview. However, the statements alleged to have been made relate to a matter which dates back to a time when he did not yet hold such office.

They considered that as a consequence, the statements in question do not have a direct and obvious connection with Mr Jakovčić’s performance of his duties as a Member of the European Parliament nor do they constitute an opinion expressed or a vote cast in the performance of his duties as a Member of the European Parliament.

In light of these considerations, the committee recommended that the European Parliament should waive the parliamentary immunity of Mr Ivan JAKOVČIĆ.