BANJA LUKA, 28.08.2018. – Near to the Palace of the President of the RS, peaceful protests of journalists from all newsrooms in Banja Luka, were held in order to publicly condemn the attack on journalist of BN TV Vladimir Kovacević’s . They called on the relevant institutions to resolve this case as soon as possible and to sanction two unknown persons who caused severe head injuries to Kovačević.
Journalists strongly condemn the attack on their college Vladimir Kovačević. They seek sanctions for the attackers. They gathered to say that attacks on journalists should not become socially acceptable behavior and that it is time to start treating attacks on journalists as attacks on officials.
– In journalism everything is solved through dialog. Therefor, we do not want a system in which isssues will be solved with violence, just because someone doesn’t like what we do, how we do it or for who we do it. – said journalist Milorad Milojević.
Kovačević was attacked last night by two masked men with a metal stick on the entrance of the building he lives in e and thus caused severe bodily injury in his head area.
This is the 41 attack on journalists in 2018.
– We are not satisfied with what has been done by now. This investigation, as many previous, is not detailed enough – pointed out the journalists from BNTV Željko Raljić.
From the Ministry of Intrenal Affairs RS reported that they are doing everything to identify the attackers on Kovačević. Due to more frequenr and brutall attacks, BHJA called all media to publish banners – STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS. They called on the political elites in RS on responsible behavior towards media in the pre – election period.
– According to the experience so far , those who are in charge of it, the police and the judiciary, either do nothing or do not do enough – said the president of BHJA Marko Divković.
– The whole atmosphere of lynch that was created in RS lead to this result. We do not think and do not know whether this was something organized, but it is possible when you have such atmosphere in which some individuals take justice in their hands – says the president of BHJA journalists Club Siniša Vukelić.
Milorad Dodik called and visited Kovačevića, and denied that the authorities of RS are anyhow inveigled into this attack.
– In addition to condemnation, I want to say that there is no lynching atmosphere in Republika Srpska. That’s not true, some may want to. I reject something like this and you are witnessing that it is not like that – said Dodik.
Some neighbors of Vladimir Kovacevic told us that they did not suspect or heard anything last night around nine o’clock when Kovačević was attacked, but they were unpleasantly surprised to hear about this incident.
