Other threats to journalists, Đorđe Vujatović, FTV, Banja Luka, 01.03.2025.

BHJA •︎ 03/03/2025

Other threats to journalists, Đorđe Vujatović, FTV, Banja Luka, 01.03.2025.

Translations: Sarajevo 

  • Case info

  • Personal info

  • Regional center
    Sarajevo
  • Who was attacked?
    Journalist
  • Gender
    Male
  • Victim(s) name
    Đorđe Vujatović

  • Media outlet

  • Name of the media outlet
    Federalna televizija - FTV
  • Type of media platform
    Radio
  • Source of information about the incident
    Media

  • Incident Data

  • Date of incident
    01.03.2025
  • City
    Banja Luka
  • Perpetrator(s)
    Known (suspected)
  • Attacked by
    Authorities - individuals
  • Means of incidents and attacks
    In person
  • Type of incident
    Other threats to journalists
  • Type of threat
    Aggressive, harassing or discriminatory statements

  • Action by the authorities

  • Police action
    n/a
  • Public prosecutor's action
    n/a
  • Court action
    n/a
  • Legal status of the case
    The procedure is in the phase of gathering information about all the circumstances of the case
  • Type of violation
    Other

  • Action taken by the journalists' association

  • Was journalist's association informed by the journalists directly?
    No
  • What was the reaction of the journalists' association?
    The association reacted publicly
    The association informed international organizations and institutions

President of the Republika Srpska (RS), Milorad Dodik, has verbally attacked journalist Đorđe Vujatovića, correspondent of the  Federal TV (FTV) from Banja Luka. At the press conference in Banja Luka, Milorad Dodik expressed his “surprise” that Vujatović was still working for a media outlet from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), and kept interrogating him about personal matters, such as his salary, telling him that he would immediately get bigger salary if he leaves FTV. Also, Dodik said that journalists who work for media outlets from FBiH were „enemy structures that needed to be expelled”, and promise that “the expulsion” would happen very soon, considering that “it would be easy to prove” that those journalists “worked against the RS”.

The BHJA Steering Board expressed full solidarity with the attacked journalist and invited Ministry of Interior of the RS and judicial institutions, as well as the RS Government to show institutional responsibility and prevent attacks and pressures on journalists and media in the RS, based on unfounded political or personal requests, even when behind those requests is president of the RS himself.