Threats against the lives and physical safety of journalists, Avdo Avdić, Sarajevo, 9.5.2024.

BHJA •︎ 09/05/2024

Threats against the lives and physical safety of journalists, Avdo Avdić, Sarajevo, 9.5.2024.

Translations: Sarajevo 

  • Case info

  • Personal info

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

  • Media outlet

  • Name of the media outlet
    Istraga.ba
  • Type of media platform
    Online Media
  • Source of information about the incident
    https://bhnovinari.ba/bs/2024/05/09/bh-novinari-ministar-konakovic-pokusava-zastrasiti-i-dehumanizovati-novinara-avdica/

  • Incident Data

  • Date of incident
    08.05.2024
  • City
    Sarajevo
  • Perpetrator(s)
    Known (suspected)
  • Attacked by
    By public official(s) and/or representative(s) of the executive power
  • Means of incidents and attacks
    Posts or comments on social networks
  • Type of incident
    life_threat

  • Action by the authorities

  • 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

BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konaković repeated the verbal and security attack on the journalist and editor of the Istraga.ba portal. Minister Konakvić published video material on his Facebook profile in which various announcements and clips from interviews that Avdić gave to the media were used, in order to discredit this journalist professionally and personally, and expose him to security risks.

In the controversial video, journalist Avdo Avdić tries to completely dehumanize himself and present himself as a man unworthy of any respect and towards whom hatred is encouraged. Along with the publication of the video, Minister Konaković wrote “There is no stopping now, this story must go to the end!”, which may imply even more drastic security-threatening actions towards the journalist Avdić.

The BHJA issued a statement, and called on the Federal Police Administration and the Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office of Canton Sarajevo to undertake an urgent investigation in accordance with the law and request the removal of the disputed video from the profile of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH.

This is the second attack by Minister Elmedin Konaković on journalist Avdić because of his research articles in connection with the “Tito and Dino” drug cartel, with which close friends of Minister Konaković are connected and against whom an investigation is being conducted by the judicial authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.