"An attorney is obliged to respect in his personal and professional life the rules of the legal code of ethics and the Statute of the Bar Association of which he is a member. By obtaining a work licence, an attorney pledges not to violate said rules. Accordingly, he/she is primarily expected to conscientiously protect, defend and represent the rights and interests of his/her client with all legally allowed instruments. He/she does it in a court of law, which has its rules of conduct, and not in the press or in television programmes. The same rules ban an attorney from making statements in the media about ongoing cases in which he/she is representing or defending his/her clients. Behaviour to the contrary is subject to disciplinary action," Zupic said in the statement.

Zupic believes that Nobilo often mistakes the media for the courtroom, "commenting on the presentation of evidence and even presenting reporters, instead of the court, with evidence."

Commenting on HOK's decision to give him a suspended ban of six months on practising law and fine him HRK 30,000, Nobilo said on Thursday that he was a victim of political persecution because he caused political damage to the government in his interview with Globus weekly.

Nobilo, who represents former Deputy Prime Minister Damir Polancec, told Globus in May 2010 that investigative bodies were trying to narrow down their investigation to Polancec in order to protect members of the government and force Polancec to testify against former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader.