14 DAY TRIAL // The Croatian authorities are now involved in an interesting dispute after a YouTube clip - showing the country's Interior Minister - was viewed by a considerable number of visitors. The videos are a little bit modified because the official's speeches are presented on James Bond or The Godfather soundtracks. The trouble was started by the Internet Minister, Ivica Kirin, who accused the minority party, the SDP, for uploading the clip on Google's video product. It seems that the problem was even more important as the opposition demanded the resignation of the minister.
"Who signed the warrant and over suspicion in what criminal act? Kirin's statement was a publicly spoken direct threat? The Minister abused his position to settle the score with his political opponents," the opposition said. "Why would I do that?" the minister replied. "There are no elements of any act that the police usually deals with. Some kind of affair is trying to be made out of this? I think all of this is part of the election campaign," he added according to Tech.Blorge.com.
"Saturday the Secretary General of another party supported the call for Kirin's resignation, saying a physical attack on a party member was covered up by Kirin's police. The YouTube controversy only refined his position, according to a local newspaper, who offered a succinct summary of his position," the same publication reported.
This is not the first time when the online video sharing service causes problems for some authorities. In the past, YouTube was entirely banned in Turkey after the local authorities considered that a clip posted on the page made fun of the country's officials. The situation was somehow similar in Thailand where the parent company Google was accused for refusing to remove a clip insulting the country's king. After a long period of inactivity, YouTube removed some videos and became available to all Thai users.