БАЊА ЛУКА, 27.08.2018 – Регионалната платформа на Западен Балкан за застапување на слободата на медиумите и безбедноста на новинарите која претставува повеќе од 8000 членови, остро го осудува бруталниот напад врз новинарот и дописник на БН ТВ Владимир Ковачевиќ.

Вчера, на 26-ти Август две маскирани лица го чекале Ковачевиќ пред влезот на неговата зграда и го нападнале со метални шипки нанесувајќи му тешки телесни повреди.

Зачудени сме од начинот на кој бил извршен нападот, сметаме дека тој бил организиран и добро испланиран, а негова главна цел била загрозување на животот на новинарот Ковачевиќ, како и да се запре неговата професионална работа во БН ТВ.

Ја изразуваме нашата најдлабока загриженост поради фактот дека Ковачевиќ бил нападнат кратко време откако ги испратил своите извештаи од градот – по демонстрациите одржани во Бања Лука, каде што групата “Правда за Давид” (група на граѓани кои се бореле да ја откријат вистината за убиство на младиот студент од Бања Лука, Давид Драгичевиќ) секојдневно се собира и протестира. Овој напад следува по серијата вербални напади и политички притисоци врз новинарите од БН ТВ, упатени од страна на Претседателот на Република Српска, Милорад Додик и другите функционери блиски до него.

Ова е петти напад врз новинари во БиХ оваа година.

Бараме од Министерството за внатрешни работи на Република Српска итно и професионално да го истражи нападот врз Владимир Ковачевиќ, како и да ја информира јавноста за околностите за овој предмет што е можно поскоро и да ги казни сторителите според законите на Републиката Српска и БиХ.

Секој напад врз новинарите е напад врз јавниот интерес, демократијата и правата на сите граѓани.

Скопје-Белград-Подгорица-Приштина-Сараево-Загреб, 27.08.2018.

BH Journalists Association

Trade Union of Media of Montenegro

Croatian Journalists’ Association

Association of Journalists of Kosovo

Association of Journalists of Macedonia

Independent Journalists Association of Serbia

BANJA LUKA, 27.08.2018. – Regionalna platforma Zapadnog Balkana za zagovaranje medijskih sloboda i bezbjednosti novinara, koja predstavlja više od 8000 članova, oštro osuđuje brutalni napad na novinara i dopisnika BNTV, Vladimira Kovačevića.

Juče, 26. avgusta,  dvije maskirane osobe sačekale su Vladimira Kovačevića ispred zgrade u kojoj živi, nasrnule na njega palicama i nanijele mu teške tjelesne povrede.

Zaprepašteni smo načinom na koji je napad izveden, smatramo da je u pitanju organizovan i dobro isplaniran čin ciljano usmjeren na ugrožavanje života novinara Kovačevića i zaustavljanje njegovog profesionalnog rada za BN televiziju.

Duboko smo zabrinuti zbog činjenice da je Kovačević napadnut neposredno nakon što je poslao svoje izvješataje sa građanskih protesta na Trgu Krajine u Banja Luci, gdje se svakodnevno okuplja grupa “Pravda za Davida” (grupa građana u borbi za razotkrivanje istine o ubistvu mladog studenta iz Banja Luke – Davida Dragičevića), te nakon niza verbalnih napada i političkih prtisaka na novinare BNTV od strane javnih zvaničnika ovog entiteta.

Ovo je peti fizički napad na novinare u BiH, koji su BH novinari registrovali u 2018.

Zahtijevamo od Ministarstva unutrašnjih poslova RS, da hitno i profesionalno istraži napad na Vladimira Kovačevića kao i da informiše javnost o okolnostima slučaja u što kraćem roku, i sakcioniše počinioce u skladu sa zakonskim okvirom RS-a i BiH.

Napadi i prijetnje novinarima su direktan napad na slobodu izražavanja i na pravo građana da budu informisani.

Svaki napad na novinare je napad na javni interes, demokratiju i prava svih građana.

Skopje – Beograd – Podgorica – Priština – Sarajevo – Zagreb

Udruženje BH novinari

Sindikat medija Crne Gore

Hrvatsko novinarsko društvo

Udruženje novinara Kosova

Udruženje novinara Makedonije

Nezavisno udruženje novinara Srbije

BANJA LUKA, 27.08.2018. – Regionalna platforma Zapadnog Balkana za zagovaranje medijskih sloboda i bezbednosti novinara, koja predstavlja više od 8.000 članova, oštro osuđuje brutalni napad na novinara i dopsinika BNTV, Vladimira Kovačevića.

Juče, 26. augusta,  dve maskirane osobe sačekale su Vladimira Kovačevića ispred zgrade u kojoj živi, nasrnule na njega palicama i nanele mu teške telesne povrede.

Zaprepešćeni smo  načinom na koji je napad izveden, smatramo da je organizovan i dobro isplaniran čin ciljano usmeren na ugrožavanje života novinara Kovačevića i zaustavljanje njegovog profesionalnog rada za BN televiziju.

Duboko smo zabrinuti zbog činjenica da je Kovačević napadnut neposredno nakon što je poslao svoje izvešataje sa građanskih protesta na Trgu Krajine u Banja Luci, gde se svakodnevno okuplja grupa “Pravda za Davida” (grupa građana u borbi za razotkrivanje istine o ubistvu mladog studenta iz Banja Luke Davida Dragičevića), nakon niza verbalnih napada i političkih pritisaka na novinare BNTV od strane javnih zvaničnika ovog entiteta.

Ovo je peti fizički napad na novinare u BiH, koji su BH novinari registrovali u 2018. godini.

Zahtevamo od Ministarstva unutrašnjih poslova Republike Srpske (RS), da hitno i profesionalno istraži napad na Vladimira Kovačevića kao i da informiše javnost o okolnostima slučaja u što kraćem roku, i sakcioniše počinioce u skladu sa zakonskim okvirom Republike Srpske i Bosne i Hercegovine.

Napad i pretnja novinarima je direktan napad na slobodu izražavanja i na pravo građana da budu informisani.

Svaki napad na novinare je napad na javni interes, demokratiju i prava svih građana.

Skoplje – Beograd – Podgorica – Priština – Sarajevo – Zagreb

Udruženje BH novinari

Sindikat medija Crne Gore

Hrvatsko novinarsko društvo

Udruženje novinara Kosova

Udruženje novinara Makedonije

Nezavisno udruženje novinara Srbije

BANJA LUKA, 27.08.2018.- Western Balkan’s Regional Platform for advocating media freedom and journalists’ safety, which represents more than 8000 members, strongly condemns the  brutal attack on the journalist and correspondent of BN TV Vladimir Kovačević.

Yesterday, 26^th of August, two masked persons waited for Kovačević in front of the building he lives in, attacked him with telescoping metal poles and inflicted him heavy bodily injury.

We are astonished by the way the attack was performed, we consider it to be an organized and well planned act aimed to endanger the life of journalist Kovačević and to stop his professional work on BN TV.

We are expressing our deepest concerns over the fact that Kovačević was attacked shortly after he has sent his reports from the city – demonstrations held in Banja Luka, where the group “Justice for David” (a group of citizen struggling to uncover the truth about the murder of a young student from Baanja Lulla David Dragičević) is gathered daily, and after a serial of verbal attacks and political pressures on journalists from BN by public officials in this entity.

This is the 5th physical attack on journalists in BiH, BHJA registered in 2018.

We requests from the Ministry  of Internal Affairs of Republica Srpska, to urgently and professionally investigate the attack on Vladimir Kovačević as well to inform the public on the circumstances of the case as soon as possible, and sanction the perpetrators according to the legal frame of Republica Srpska and BiH.

Attacking and threatening journalists is a direct attack on freedom of expression and the right of citizens to be informed. Each attack on journalists is the attack on public interest, democracy and rights of all citizens.

Skopje – Belgrade – Podgorica – Prishtina – Sarajevo – Zagreb, 27.08.2018.

BH Journalists Association
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
Independent Journalists Association Serbia

PODGORICA, 28.08.2018. – Fund for the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Minorities in Montenegro has been supporting the media of minority nations for years. Anyway, Fund’s decisions have been followed by various controversies, and often by court proceedings.

The Fund launches a fundraising competition for projects aimed at protecting minorities twice a year.

The first allocation is made at the beginning and the second in the middle of the calendar year. The Fund is managed by the Steering Board and the Director appointed by the Steering Board. Minority peoples in Montenegro are represented in the Steering Board by national minority councils in Montenegro: Serbian, Albanian, Croatian, Muslim, Bosniak and Roma.

Last year, two competitions were awarded a total of EUR 972,926. The public call announced at the beginning of 2017 was worth 680,000 euros, while the July competition was worth 262,926 euros. The latest information for this year is not available on the Fund’s web site.

During both calls in 2017, support to media of national minorities was uniform and amounted to about 27% of the total funds allocated, as approximately EUR 260,000 was earmarked for electronic and printed media.

What is worrying is that the Fund’s data show that the degree of realization of projects that received support is only slightly higher than half. So in 2016, only 54.8% of projects were fully implemented, and even 19.3% were not realized or there are no reports on realization. What the Fund did on that occasion, is not known.

The results of the competition show that during both calls the Serbian National Council and organizations promoting the cultural values of the Serbian people received the most money. Over the past year, support to these organizations amounted to 133,400 euros. Thus, during both calls, Srpska TV received support from the Fund, in the amount of EUR 52,000 for projects “Informative Production” and “Serials of Srpska TV”. The publishing activity of the Serbian National Council was supported with 37,400 euros. “Serbian cool radio” received a grant in the amount of 27,000 euros in the second call. Behind all projects is the NGO “Society for Equality and Tolerance”, which media for years links with the President of the Serbian National Council, Momcilo Vuksanovic, who is also a member of the Steering Committee. The Serbian electronic newspaper, issued by the Serbian Cultural Center “Stefan Nemanja” received a project worth 17,000 euros.

When it comes to the Croatian people, for their media activity, 53.300 euros have been committed. The newspaper Hrvatski glasnik, published by Croatian Civil Society was supported with 14,000 euros, while the radio and the portal “Dux” received grants in the amount of 39,300 euros. This project was proposed by the NGO Croatian Organization “Dux croatorum”.

Media in the Albanian language received support in the amount of about 16,000 euros. Television from Tuzi, TV Boin got a green light for projects whose goals are the promotion of women and the special peculiarities of that region with 7,700 euros. The project has also approved to the TV Teuta from Ulcinj, and its value is 6,050 euros. The Fund also supported the Journal of Culture, Science and Social Issues, proposed by NGO “Malesia”, worth 2.050 euros.

Media aimed at promoting the cultural identity of Roma and Egyptians had projects worth around 25,000 euros. Thus, Roma Association’s „Roma Voice“ worth 12,000 Euros was approved, the Roma Cultural Center received 9,000 copies for the newspaper Alav, and the Roma and Egyptian Information Center, proposed by NGO Info Center Roma and Egyptians worth 3,250 euros.

Muslim organisation „Matica muslimanska Crne Gore“ received 3,500 euros for the magazine “Osvit glas Muslimana u Crnoj Gori”, while the Bosniak web portal, by author Almira Koljenovic, was supported with a grant in the amount of 2,500 euros.

Radio Elita received financial support of 4,585 euros, Radio series “Bisernica 18,000 euros, newspaper “Almanah” 7,400, portal www.sehara.me by Adis Pepic, 4,750 euros.

The recent amendments to the Law on the Protection of Minority Rights attempted to put a stop to the controversy following the decisions of the Fund regarding the allocation of funds. So, the decision on the allocation was no longer passed by the Steering Board of this institution, but by the director of the Fund, Safet Kurtagić.

The law also stipulates that at least 0.15% of the current budget is for the functioning of the Fund, and 70% of that amount goes to financing projects aimed at the preservation and promotion of minority rights.

Assembly finances “Koha javore”

There are also other ways of state-supporting media. The example is weekly „Koha javore“, on the Albanian language.

The Montenegrin Parliament decided to financially support this media.

According to the annual Budget of the Montenegrin Parliament, 100,000 euros each year goes to the account of the weekly “Koha Javore”.

This solution came in 2014 when, until then, the state Pobjeda, which issued weekly “Koha javore”, was privatized and the new owner was not intimidated for Albanian-language newspapers. As it was estimated at that time, the weekly was of great importance for informing the Albanians in Montenegro, it was found that the Assembly should took over this obligation.

This article has been produced as a part of the project Western Balkan’s Regional Platform for advocating media freedom and journalists’ safety with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this article are the sole responsibility of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia and its authors, and can in no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.

СКОПЈЕ, 27.08.2018 – Регионалната платформа на Западен Балкан за застапување на слободата на медиумите и безбедноста на новинарите која претставува повеќе од 8000 членови, остро го осудува срамниот и целосно неоправдан напад на претседателот на Република Српска, Милорад Додик, врз Дино Јахиќ, кој е шеф и уредник на Центарот за истражувачко новинарство во Србија (ЦИНС).

НУНС проценува дека јавната навреда на Додик упатена до уредникот на ЦИНС претставува директен притисок врз слободата на новинарите и медиумите, како и закана по личната безбедност на Дино Јахиќ и неговите колеги во редакцијата на ЦИНС.

Регионалната платформа на Западен Балкан за застапување на слободата на медиумите и безбедноста на новинарите јавно го поддржува главниот уредник – Дино Јахиќ и редакцијата на ЦИНС, која, без оглед на притисокот, продолжи да ја истражува работата на политичарите, бизнисмените и луѓето блиски до властите, почитувајќи ги етичките и професионалните стандарди на новинарството.

На 21 август, претседателот на Република Српска го нападна главниот и одговорен уредник на ЦИНС, обвинувајќи го дека работи како водечки центар кој со финансиска поддршка од меѓународни организации уништува политички структури во регионот. Без да даде никакви докази и поткрепи за своите опасни обвиненија, Додик на навредлив и циничен начин говореше за главниот уредник на ЦИНС.

На нападот на Додик врз ЦИНС и Јахиќ му претходеше валкана кампања на одредени портали која ја започнаа на 21 август наутро, само неколку часа пред претседателската конференција на РС. Кампањата започна на порталот Inforsrpska.ba, објавувајќи текст кој без аргументи наведува дека ЦИНС има обезбедено средства за проект од Велика Британиуја, САД и Саудиска Арабија во висина од 38 милиони долари за развивање на истражувачко новинарство во регионот. Клучното обвинение било дека “вистинската задача на ЦИНС била да се криминализираат властите кои не се подготвени да бидат моќни спонзори на овој центар“.

Потсетуваме дека ова е само еден од многу напади во низа кои ги упати Додик. На 22 август, Додик изврши уште еден политички притисок кон Центарот за истражувачко новинарство на БиХ. На прес-конференција тој го повика ЦИН БиХ јавно да ги објави имотните листови на сите политичари.

Секој напад врз новинарите е напад врз јавниот интерес, демократијата и правата на сите граѓани.

Скопје-Белград-Подгорица-Приштина-Сараево-Загреб, 27.08.2018.

BH Journalists Association

Trade Union of Media of Montenegro

Croatian Journalists’ Association

Association of Journalists of Kosovo

Association of Journalists of Macedonia

Independent Journalists Association of Serbia

BELGRADE, 23.08.2018. – Western Balkan’s Regional Platform for advocating media freedom and journalists’ safety, which represents more than 8000 members, strongly condemns the shameful and completely unjustified attack by the president of Republica Srpska, Milorad Dodik on Dino Jahić, Chief and Editor of the Centre for Investigative Reporting Serbia (CINS).

IJAS estimates that Dodik’s public insulting editor-in-chief of CINS is the most direct pressure on freedom of journalists and media, as well as endangering personal security of Dino Jahić and his colleagues in the CINS newsroom.

The Western Balkan Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalists Safety publicly supports the editor – in chief – , Dino Jahić and the CINS newsroom, that will, regardless the pressure continue to investigate politicians, businessmen, and the people close to authorities, respecting hereby the ethical and professional standards of journalism.
On August 21, the President of Republika Srpska attacked the chief and responsible editor of CINS on 21 August, accusing him of leading a center that, with the financial support of international organizations, crushed political structures in the region. Without giving any evidence for its dangerous charges, Dodik has been insultingly cynical about the editor-in-chief of CINS.

Dodik’;s attack on CINS and Jahić was preceded by a dirty campaign on certain portals that began on August 21 in the morning, just a few hours before the presidential conference of RS. The Campaign started ont he portal Inforsrpska.ba, by publishing a text which, without any arguments, states that CINS "has funds from the United Kingdom, the United States and Saudi Arabia for a $ 38 million project " Developing Investigative Journalism in the Region ". The key accusation is that "the real task of CINS is to criminalize the authorities who are not willing to be powerful sponsors of this center.

We recall that this is just one in a row of many Dodik’s attacks. Yesterday, 22nd of August, Dodik exerted another political pressure towards the Cetre for Investigative Reporitng BiH. On a press conference he called CIN BiH out for publishing his and other politicians property cards publicly.

Attacking and threatening journalists is a direct attack on freedom of expression and the right of citizens to be informed.

Each attack on journalists is the attack on public interest, democracy and rights of all citizens.

Skopje – Belgrade – Podgorica – Prishtina – Sarajevo – Zagreb, 23.08.2018.

BH Journalists Association
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
Independent Journalists Association Serbia