Threats against lives and physical safety of journalists, Avdo Avdić, portal Istraga, Sarajevo, 06.12.2024.

BHJA •︎ 06/12/2024

Threats against lives and physical safety of journalists, Avdo Avdić, portal Istraga, Sarajevo, 06.12.2024.

Translations: Sarajevo 

  • Case info

  • Personal info

  • Regional center
    Sarajevo
  • Who was attacked?
    Journalist
  • Gender
    Male

  • Media outlet

  • Name of the media outlet
    Istraga.ba
  • Type of media platform
    Online Media
  • Source of information about the incident
    Journalist

  • Incident Data

  • Date of incident
    06.12.2024
  • City
    Sarajevo
  • Perpetrator(s)
    Known (suspected)
  • Attacked by
    (ordinary) citizens
  • Means of incidents and attacks
    In person
  • Type of incident
    life_threat

  • Action by the authorities

  • Police action
    The police immediately took effective measures in the investigation of this case. Physical protection and a police escort were provided for this journalist.
  • Public prosecutor's action
    The Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Sarajevo Canton has initiated an investigation and appropriate legal actions.
  • Legal status of the case
    The procedure is in the investigative phase
  • Type of violation
    Security threat

  • Action taken by the journalists' association

  • Was journalist's association informed by the journalists directly?
    Yes
  • What was the reaction of the journalists' association?
    The association reacted publicly
    The association sent a letter of concern to the institutions
    The association informed international organizations and institutions
    The association organized some other form of support

The portal Istraga.ba has published information that Dino Muzaferović, suspected of multiple murders and crimes, planned to kill journalist Avdje Avdić. According to this portal, Muzaferović was arrested in Ljubljana (Slovenia) as part of an international investigation into drug trafficking, murders and other crimes. During the police action and arrest, it was discovered that Muzaferović planned to kill the journalist Avdić. The police, security agencies and competent prosecutor’s offices in BiH were informed about these intentions.

Journalist Avdić immediately received police protection.

In a statement, BH Journalists and FMHL recalled the numerous threats and attacks against journalist Avdić, including the monitoring of a scandalous video and its publication on social networks in May 2024. None of these cases ended with the punishment of the attackers, although it is clear that both threats and attacks undertaken with the aim of stopping Avdić’s writing about crime and corruption.

The Safejournalists network reacted with a statement in this case.