Sarajevo/Gradiška, May 20, 2026 – The Steering Committee of BH Journalists Association and the Free Media Help Line (FMHL) strongly condemn the behavior of the mayor of Gradiška, Zoran Adžić, who attempted to order police officers to remove Micro Mreža journalist Bojana Trgić from the location where he was giving a statement to the media regarding the collapse of part of the bridge at the Gradiška Border Crossing.
During his address to journalists on Tuesday, May 19, mayor Zoran Adžić demanded that officers of the Gradiška Police Department, who were securing the area around the collapsed section of the bridge, remove the journalist from the Micro Mreža portal from the scene, threatening to stop giving statements if they failed to do so. The police officers did not comply with the mayor’s request, but the journalist left the event without completing her assignment in order to avoid escalating the situation further and to allow the present media representatives to continue their work without obstruction.
The Steering Committee of BH Journalists emphasizes that the attempt to remove a journalist from a public place with police assistance represents a dangerous precedent and sends the message that local officials can decide which media outlets are allowed to report on their work and which are not. Such behavior is not only pressure directed at one journalist and one newsroom, but also a demonstration of political power aimed at intimidating all media whose journalists ask “uncomfortable” questions or report critically on the work of local authorities.
Equally unacceptable is mayor Adžić’s attempt to subordinate police officers to fulfilling his personal demands for the removal of journalist Trgić from the scene and to present them as a “service to politicians”, rather than to all citizens. In this context, the Steering Committee of BH Journalists stresses that public officials are not owners of public space, nor do they have the right to determine which media are “suitable” or “unsuitable,” especially not by abusing the police and turning them “against journalists”.
The relationship of the city authorities in Gradiška toward certain local media outlets has for some time been characterized by tensions, political pressure, and attempts to marginalize critical reporting. We remind mayor Zoran Adžić and his associates that holding public office implies responsibility toward citizens and readiness for public scrutiny and examination of the work of officials, including critical questions from journalists.
BH Journalists demand that the Gradiška Police Department and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska urgently determine all circumstances surrounding this incident and the mayor’s conduct toward the Micro Mreža journalist. We also call on mayor Zoran Adžić to stop exerting pressure on the media and to ensure equal and unobstructed access to events of public interest for all journalists. BH Journalists will continue to monitor this case and provide professional and legal support to the journalists of the Micro Mreža portal.