Other threats to journalists, the Draft Law on the criminalization of defamation, Banja Luka, 23.03.2023.

BHJA •︎ 04/04/2023

Other threats to journalists, the Draft Law on the criminalization of defamation, Banja Luka, 23.03.2023.

Translations: Sarajevo 

  • Case info

  • Personal info

  • Regional center
    Sarajevo
  • Who was attacked?
    Group

  • Media outlet

  • Type of media platform
    Radio
    Printed Media
    Online Media

  • Incident Data

  • Date of incident
    23.03.2023
  • City
    Banja Luka
  • Perpetrator(s)
    Not known
  • Attacked by
    By public official(s) and/or representative(s) of the executive power
  • Type of incident
    Other threats to journalists
  • Type of threat
    Unfounded judicial and administrative harassment including SLAPP cases

  • Action by the authorities

  • Action taken by the journalists' association

  • Was journalist's association informed by the journalists directly?
    Yes

The Steering Committee of the BH Journalists Association and the Free Media Help Line consider today’s decision of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (NSRS) to adopt the Draft Law on the criminalization of defamation to be a defeat for democracy, free society and free journalism.

This procedure should be remembered as a textbook example of the irresponsible behavior of 49 MPs who, by voting “yes”, deprived their voters – citizens of Republika Srpska, journalists, media outlets, civil society organizations and all other institutions and organizations of their right to freedom of expression and opinion, free dissemination and receiving information.

In addition to disregarding the interests of citizens, the ruling coalition in the NSRS has shown not only that it does not know international standards for the protection of freedom of expression and the media, but that it does not respect the proposals, requests and recommendations of domestic media and journalist associations, international organizations such as the United Nations, the European Union, the Council of Europe , OSCE, European media associations, embassies and all others who tried to explain to the MPs the harmfulness of their procedure and the restriction of the right to freedom of expression.