Translations: Sarajevo
Case info
Personal info
- Regional centerSarajevo
- Who was attacked?Journalist
- GenderMale
- Victim(s) nameNikola Morača
Media outlet
- Name of the media outletEuroBlic - SrpskaInfo
- Type of media platformPrinted Media
Online Media - Source of information about the incidentJournalist
Incident Data
- Date of incident24.02.2023
- CityBanja Luka
- Perpetrator(s)Known (suspected)
- Attacked byAuthorities - institutions
- Means of incidents and attacksIn person
- Type of incidentOther threats to journalists
- Type of threatUnfounded judicial and administrative harassment including SLAPP cases
Action by the authorities
- Police actionIn the presence of prosecutor Gordana Mijatović, on-duty police inspectors interrogated the reporter and demanded that he reveal "who gave him the information" about the person suspected of rape, and confiscated his mobile phone even though they did not have a legal court order for it. Also, the police and the acting prosecutor told the journalist that he "will be detained by the police for at least five hours", and at the same time forced the journalist to hand over his phone to them, and to sign that he was "voluntarily" handing over his own phone to the police.
- Public prosecutor's actionJournalist Nikola Morača and media editors were suspected of the criminal offense of "violating the secrecy of the proceedings" regarding the rape of an 18-year-old girl. After four months of investigation at the District Prosecutor's Office in Banja Luka and public pressure for violations of journalistic rights and media freedoms, the investigation against this journalist and the editors of these two media: EuroBlic and Srpska.info was suspended. https://www.gerila.info/tuzilastvo-obustavilo-istragu-protiv-nikole-morace-i-urednika-u-euroblicu-i-srpskainfo/
- Legal status of the caseDeferred prosecution
- Type of violationOther
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
Journalist Nikola Morača was questioned at the Banja Luka Police Department because of the information he presented in his author’s text about the rape of an eighteen-year-old girl, for which one person is suspected. In the presence of prosecutor Gordana Mijatović, the police inspectors on duty demanded that the journalist reveal “who gave him the information” about the person suspected of rape, and confiscated his mobile phone, even though they did not have a legal court order to do so.
At the same time, the inspectors and the prosecutor, demonstrating their institutional supremacy and explaining that he would be detained for at least five hours by the police, took advantage of the journalist’s unfavorable situation and forced him to sign that he was “voluntarily” handing over his phone to the police.
BH Journalists reacted with a statement. The Safejournalists network also had a statement on this case.
After four months of investigation and public pressure for violations of journalistic rights and media freedoms, the investigation against this journalist was suspended.