Actual attacks on journalists: Avdo Avdić, Istraga, Sarajevo, 19.08.2025.

Translations: Sarajevo 

On August 19 2025, in Sarajevo, un unknown young man approached from the back the editor of Istraga.ba, Avdo Avdić, hit him very hard in the back and threatened that he will “break his legs”. Immediately after the attack, the journalist started recording the attacker, who continued with verbal threats and asked Avdić “did you have enough”, “do you want more?”, meaning the hits. At the same time, hateful messages and labeling Avdić as “traitor” started to spread on social networks. On one Facebook account it was explicitly stated that “Avdo should be killed, that’s what you should do to a traitor, no mercy for traitors.”

According to the information available to BHJA, Avdić was attacked by Abdulaziz Musa, son of professor Sanin Musa, who was once a member of the salafi community in BiH, and now the leader of the movement “Faith People State”. Sanin Musa is known in BiH for his religious radicalism and attacks on dissenters, and a while ago he tried to organize a Muslim religious ceremony in Široki Brijeg which is predominantly Catholic community, but the police prevented him from doing that. Avdo Avdić confirmed to BHJA that a possible reason for the attack is his critical writing on actions and statements by Sanin Musa, as well as his comments on recent Musa’s attempt to generate conflicts between Muslims and Catholics in Široki Brijeg by organizing a Muslim ceremony in that town.

The continued and brutal violence towards journalist Avdić is worrying. He is very often a victim of threats and attacks not only by persons from criminal milieu and radical groups, but also by highly positioned officials and politicians. This, latest escalation of violence towards Avdić is a consequence of impunity of former attacks and threats, as well as of inefficient treatment of institutions in charge for investigation and processing of the persons behind the attacks.