SARAJEVO, 23.02.2018. βΒ Regionalna platforma Zapadnog Balkana za zagovaranje medijskih sloboda i sigurnosti novinara, kojuΒ zastupa viΕ‘e od 7.800 Δlanova, oΕ‘tro osuΔuje fiziΔki napad na NedΕΎada LatiΔa,Β publicistu i urednika portala The Bosnia Times iz Sarajeva. Napad se desio u utorak poslijepodne ispred zgrade u kojoj ΕΎivi LatiΔ, nedugo poslije izlaska iz dΕΎamije u kojoj je obavljao molitvu.
NanoΕ‘enje tjelesnih povreda i napad na NedΕΎada LatiΔa predstavljaju brutalni napad na slobodu izraΕΎavanja i ugroΕΎavanje sigurnosti novinara, te grubi pokuΕ‘aj guΕ‘enja slobode medija i kritiΔkog pisanja o aktulenim dogaΔajima u Sarajevu.
Platforma zahtjeva hitnu istragu svih okolnosti napada na LatiΔa, utvrΔivanje identiteta napadaΔa i motive napada, te poduzimanje zakonom propisanih mjera na brz i efikasan naΔin.
UdruΕΎenje BH novinari, zabiljeΕΎilo je 24 sluΔaja prijetnji i napada na novinare u 2017, ali samo za neke od ovih napada je pokrenut sudski postupak.
Regionalna Platforma podrΕΎava UdruΕΎenje/Udrugu BH novinari u naporima da zaΕ‘titi novinare i slobodu govora. Platforma takoΔer poziva internacionalne organizacije koje se baveΒ slobodom medija i pravima novinara da zahtijeva od bosanskoheregovaΔkih vlasti da hitno istraΕΎe ovaj sluΔaj.
Napad na novinara je direktni napad na slobodu izraΕΎavanja i pravo graΔana da budu informisani. Svaki napad na novinara je napad na javni interes, demokratiju i na prava graΔana.
Sarajevo β Podgorica β Zagreb β PriΕ‘tina β Beograd β Skoplje
SARAJEVO, 23.02.2017. –Β The Western Balkanβs Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalistsβ Safety, representing more than 8000 members, strongly condemns the physical attack on NedΕΎad LatiΔ, the journalist and editor of the portal The Bosnia Times from Sarajevo. The attack happened on Tuesday afternoon, in front of the building LatiΔ lives, shortly after he left the Mosque he was praying in.
The attack on NedΕΎad LatiΔ that caused bodily injuries is a brutal attack on a journalist and on freedom of expression and safety of journalists. At the same time, it is kind of pressure on media freedom not to critically write about current events in BiH, including about Wahhabi members behavior.
The Platform expresses its deepest concerns about that and other attacks on journalists. We request an urgent investigation of the attack on LatiΔ, identification of the perpetrators and the motives of the attack, as well as to take efficient legal measures.
The BH Journalists Association has documented 24 cases of threats and attacks against journalists in 2017, but just some of them have been taken to court.
The Platform will send letters of concern to all relevant authorities in BiH requesting them to prevent any form of violence against journalists, to urgently and thoroughly investigate all facts about this and other cases of violations. By doing so they will send a strong message to the public that such behavior is not acceptable. Also, The Platform will report the case to the Mapping media freedom Platform and Council of Europe to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists.
The Regional Platform strongly supports the BH Journalists Association and its efforts to protect journalists and freedom of speech.
The Platform also calls on international organizations dealing with the protection of press freedom and the rights of journalists to demand from BH authorities to urgently prosecute the perpetrator.
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 β Belgrade β Podgorica β Pristina β Sarajevo β Zagreb, 23.02.2018.
BRUSSELS, 23.02.2018The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomed theΒ letterΒ sent toΒ Frans Timmerman, the vice-president of the European commission,Β initiated by six Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)Β Β on 19 February 2018 who called for the introduction of a new EU directive that addressesΒ Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) towards journalists.
The letter was signed by the following MEPs:Β David CasaΒ (European Peopleβs Party),Β Ana GomesΒ (Socialists and Democrats),Β Monica MacoveiΒ (European Conservatives and Reformists),Β Maite PagazaurtundΓΊaΒ (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats),Β Stelios KouloglouΒ (European United Left, GUE/NGL), andΒ Benedek JΓ‘vorΒ (Greens).
The proposed EU Anti-SLAPP directive would aim to protect journalists from vexatious, abusive lawsuits and other forms of legal threats by companies and governments. It would include:
The ability for investigative journalists and independent media to request that vexatious lawsuits in the EU be expediently dismissed and claim compensation;
The establishment of punitive fines on firms pursuing these practices when recourse is made to jurisdictions outside the EU;
The setting up of a SLAPP fund to support investigative journalists and independent media that choose to resist malicious attempts to silence them and to assist in the recovery of funds due to them;
The setting-up of an EU register that names and shames firms that pursue these abusive practices.
βThis practice is abusive, poses a threat to media freedom and has no place in the European Unionβ, the MEPs stated in their letter. They expressed high concern about the impact of SLAPPs in Malta, where investigative journalistΒ DaphneΒ Caruana Galizia was murderedΒ in a car bomb last October. Around the time of her murder she was being sued by Pilatus Bank, a Maltese financial institution she had criticised frequently in her reports.
The MEPs are currently waiting for the European Commission to respond. David Casa stated to Maltese dailyΒ Times of MaltaΒ thatΒ they might renew the call during the European Parliamentβs plenary session. βBut more concretely we could also use a particular mechanism to draft the directive ourselves and send it to the Commission to propose, under a provision of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,β he explained. βWhat is certain is that we are determined and committed to push for this legislation for as long as necessary.βΒ The European Federation of Journalists strongly supports this initiative.
BELGRADE, 23.02.2018. – βSerbia has to move forward resolutely in addressing the legacy of the past,Β establish an adequate environment for media work and overcome the remaining obstacles to inclusive education.β said today Nils MuiΕΎnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, following a four-day follow-up visit to the country carried out from 19 to 22 February 2018.
Noting as an important step forward in addressing the legacy of the past, the recent discussions of the presidents of Serbia and Croatia, including the issue of missing persons from the 1990sβ war in the region, the Commissioner calls on all the countries in the region, including Serbia, to step up their work in addressing the remaining obstacles to establishing the fate of missing persons, including by opening of military and police archives that may hold important information about missing persons.
The Commissioner underlines that persistent impunity for certain serious human rights violations adversely affects justice and durable peace in the region. While he noted with interest information indicating that the prosecution of wartime crimes has been stepped up in recent months and that regional co-operation in this field has continued, the Commissioner urges the authorities to ensure that all perpetrators of serious human rights violations committed during the 1990sβ wars are brought to justice without further delays. βAny document that can shed light on serious human rights violations committed during the wars and enable the effective investigation of such crimes should be made available to relevant institutions, and decisions according to which some documents were declared a state secret should be revised in line with the pertinent recommendations of the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance.β Noting with regret that there has been no recent progress in creating a comprehensive reparation mechanism for all war victims, the Commissioner calls on the authorities to put this issue higher on their agenda and draw from positive legislative examples in the region, in particular as concerns reparations for victims of war related crimes of sexual violence.
The Commissioner is seriously concerned that certain persons convicted for war crimes by the ICTY have been given a public platform in Serbia to promote their views and deny the crimes for which they were convicted, while leading politicians have not distanced themselves from such persons, and even included them in some political processes. βThis approach to dealing with the past is harmful for reconciliation in the region and is an insult to the victims of those crimes. Moreover, raising young generations in Serbia in the spirit of peace, tolerance and respect for the other, will be difficult as long as persons convicted for wartime crimes are treated in society as heroes.β
The Commissioner was pleased to note the additional progress made by Serbia in ensuring systematic birth registration of Roma and providing them with personal identity documents. He encourages the authorities to make additional efforts to resolve about 2000 remaining cases of Roma lacking personal identity documents.
As concerns freedom of the media, the Commissioner noted the agreement of all media actors that he met that Serbia has a solid legislative framework governing this field. βSerbia also has great investigative journalists, some of whom have been presented with prestigious international awards. The Commissioner for Information of Public Importance, whose importance for investigative journalistsβ work cannot be overstated, is a model institution that should be fully supported by the authorities and whose decisions need to be fully complied with.β
However, the Commissioner noted many concerns about a deteriorating situation for the work of journalists and media since his previous visit. The safety of journalists remains an issue of concern, and despite some efforts by the authorities to ensure a better institutional response to crimes against journalists, few such cases have been effectively prosecuted.Β Smear campaigns, inflammatory remarks and other forms of pressure against journalists have increased and have led to self-censorship and discouraged journalists from performing their important work. The Commissioner called on the authorities to investigate and prosecute all crimes against journalists. βPoliticians are urged to unequivocally condemn all cases of violence targeting journalists who play such a crucial watchdog role in the society.β The Commissioner noted some serious challenges in the implementation of the project-based funding of media, introduced in 2014, which entails state financial support at national and local level for media projects of public interest. βLack of transparency, politically motivated decisions and funding awarded to tabloids and media known to be violating media ethics are among the serious challenges that need to be addressed by the authorities in this context.β
Underlining the importance of inclusive education for social cohesion and the educational opportunities of all children, the Commissioner was pleased to note some positive developments in this field. βI find the authoritiesβ clear commitment to inclusive education and their wide acceptance of the principle of inclusion of all children in mainstream education, including children with disabilities and Roma, crucial for making further progress in this field. Another positive development is that Roma children are no longer systematically sent to special schools, which violated their rights and perpetuated their marginalisation. It is also very important that the authorities have recognised the importance of mandatory pre-school classes and the work of pedagogical assistants for better inclusion of children in mainstream education and that further improvements in this context have been planned.β
Notwithstanding these positive developments, the Commissioner called on the authorities to enhance their efforts to ensure full inclusion in mainstream education of all Roma children and children with disabilities. He was seriously concerned by the effects of 2009 legislation which provides for a possibility that parents choose a school for their children regardless of their place of residence, which has facilitated so-called βwhite flightβ from certain elementary schools and exacerbated the segregation of Roma children. One such school was the school Sutjeska in Zemun visited by the Commissioner, in which an increasing percentage of students were Roma. The Commissioner urged the authorities to address this issue by reintroducing the catchment area system as a precondition for de-segregation of such schools.
Noting the importance of the provision of children with disabilities with personal assistants for their better inclusion in mainstream education and the lack of funding in some local communities for the engagement of such assistants, the Commissioner called on the authorities to find a systemic solution in this regard to further inclusion. Last but not least, the Commissioner urged the authorities to make enhanced efforts to include children with disabilities residing in six institutions for social care in mainstream education.
BEOGRAD, 23.02.2018. – U Srbiji je nastavljena nekaΕΎnjivost zloΔina po meΔunarodnom pravu, a klevete zvaniΔnika i medija bliskih vladi stvaraju toksiΔno okruΕΎenje za nezavisne medije i aktiviste tranzicione pravde.
To se navodi u najnovijem izveΕ‘taju organizacije za zaΕ‘titu ljudskih prava Amnesti interneΕ‘enala (Amnesty International) za 2017. godinu.
U izveΕ‘taju, koji je objavljen danas, istiΔe se da su istraΕΎivaΔki novinari u Srbiji podvrgnuti kampanjama blaΔenja od ministara i medija bliskih vladi, da je privatno obezbeΔenje vladajuΔe stranke fiziΔki napalo Ε‘est novinara koji su izveΕ‘tavali sa mitinga tokom inauguracije Aleksandra VuΔiΔa 31. maja, kao i da su novinari KRIK-a dobijali pretnje smrΔu, a da je novinarki Dragani PeΔo obijen stan.
NaglaΕ‘ava se da je u septembru politiΔka partija ministra odbrane Aleksandra Vulina optuΕΎila glavnog i odgovornog urednika KRIK-a, Stevana DojΔinoviΔa da je βnarkomanβ i βstrani plaΔenikβ, a sve zbog toga Ε‘to je KRIK istraΕΎivao imovinu ministra Vulina.
Amnesti naglaΕ‘ava da su aktivisti za tranzicionu pravdu napadani od strane najviΕ‘ih zvaniΔnika, ukljuΔujuΔi i Aleksandra VuΔiΔa, preko provladinih medija i druΕ‘tvenih mreΕΎa.
Huligani su u januaru, na ulazu u kancelariju Inicijative mladih za ljudska prava, ostavili kese sa laΕΎnim novcem i nalepnice βstrani plaΔeniciβ, piΕ‘e u izveΕ‘taju. Kako se dodaje, aktivisti i aktivistkinje Inicijative mladih fiziΔki su napadnuti na tribini vladajuΔe stranke na kojoj je govorio haΕ‘ki osuΔenik Veselin Ε ljivanΔanin.
U izveΕ‘taju se navodi da su bivΕ‘i srpski vojni komandanti posle odsluΕΎenih kazni izreΔenih pred HaΕ‘kim tribunalom sve ΔeΕ‘Δe dobijali uticajne poloΕΎaje, ali i podseΔa da je u maju SneΕΎana StanojkoviΔ izabrana za glavnu tuΕΎiteljku za ratne zloΔine, da su izreΔene samo tri presude za ratne zloΔine i da su sve bile oslobaΔajuΔe.
IstiΔe se i da je nastavljeno ponovno suΔenje za bivΕ‘e vojnike optuΕΎene za ratne zloΔine na Kosovu, ukljuΔujuΔi prvu optuΕΎnicu za silovanje, da je u julu zaustavljeno suΔenje osmorici bosanskih Srba koji se terete za ubistvo 1.303 boΕ‘njaΔka civila u okolini Srebrenice, jer je optuΕΎnica podignuta u vreme kada nije bilo tuΕΎioca za ratne zloΔine. MeΔutim, dodaje se da je nakon ΕΎalbe suΔenje ipak nastavljeno.
Amnesti podseΔa i da je Apelacioni sud u oktobru odbacio optuΕΎbe protiv bosanskih Srba za otmicu u Ε trpcima, da porodice ΕΎrtava nisu priznate kao civilne ΕΎrtve rata, jer su im Δlanovi porodice umrli izvan teritorije Srbije.
βPorodice ΕΎrtava kosovskih Srba pozvale su u maju vladu da uΔini napredak u pronalaΕΎenju tela nestalihβ, piΕ‘e u izveΕ‘taju i naglaΕ‘ava da nema napretka u gonjenju odgovornih za transport i zakopavanje tela kosovskih Albanaca sa Kosova tokom 1999. godine. Dodaje se i da je u novembru pred HaΕ‘kim tribunalom osuΔen Ratko MladiΔ, kao i da je u avgustu 10 osoba osloboΔeno optuΕΎbi da su mu pomagali dok je bio u bekstvu.
Amnesti navodi da su u aprilu odrΕΎane masovne demonstracije i protesti protiv izborne korupcije i pristrasnosti medija nakon predsedniΔkih izbora na kojima je pobedila vladajuΔa stranka.
βIako je Komitet UN protiv torture glasao protiv izruΔenja kurdskog aktiviste DΕΎevdeta Ajaza, Srbija ga je u decembru vratila u Tursku gde ga Δeka sigurni zatvorβ, navodi se u izveΕ‘taju.
Amnesti navodi da romske porodice u Beogradu i dalje ΕΎive u nehigijenskim naseljima, da su im uskraΔena socijalna i ekonomska prava, poput prava na zdravstvo, obrazovanje, vodu, da su pod rizikom prisilnih izbacivanja, ali i da policija maltretira Rome. NaglaΕ‘ava se i da su izbeglice i migranti blokirani u Srbiji, kao i da su oni koji su pokuΕ‘ali da uΔu u Evropsku uniju preko MaΔarske i Hrvatske nasilno vraΔani u Srbiju.
Dodaje se da je u januaru do 1.800 izbeglica i migranata ΕΎivelo u napuΕ‘tenim skladiΕ‘tima, i to Δesto na temperaturi ispod nule, te da su do maja izbaΔeni i prebaΔeni u pretrpane vladine centre u kojima su uslovi neadekvatni.
Srbija je proglasila 18. maj za Dan seΔanja na ΕΎene koje su ubijene od strane muΕΎeva i partnera, istiΔe se u izveΕ‘taju i podseΔa da su organizacije koje se bore za ΕΎenska prava protestovale u julu, jer vlasti nisu zaΕ‘titile dve ΕΎene i jedno dete koje su ubili bivΕ‘i muΕΎevi, i to ispred centara za socijalni rad u Beogradu.
U novembru, dodaje se, Srbija je ratifikovala Istanbulsku konvenciju za speΔavanje nasilja nad ΕΎenama.
Nedostatak dogovora Srbije i Kosova
U izveΕ‘taju Amnesti interneΕ‘enala se istiΔe da nedostatak dogovora o uzajamnoj pravnoj pomoΔi Kosova i Srbije ometa procesuiranje Srba osumnjiΔenih za ratne zloΔine tokom sukoba 1998. i 1999. godine, ukljuΔujuΔi i seksualno nasilje. Navodi se da bi stotine nereΕ‘enih sluΔajeva trebalo da bude prebaΔeno u junu 2018. u kancelariju Specijalnog tuΕΎioca Kosova, te da su tuΕΎioci, nevladine organizacije i ΕΎrtve seksualnog nasilja za vreme sukoba zabrinuti da svedoΔenja koja je Unmik sakupio nisu na odgovarajuΔi naΔin istraΕΎena.
Amnesti podseΔa da bivΕ‘a predsednica Kosova Atifete Jahjaga nije mogla da doΔe u Beograd u junu kako bi predstavila knjigu svedoΔenja ΕΎrtava seksualnog nasilja za vreme rata, kao i da stigma povezana sa silovanjem za vreme ratnih sukoba i dalje optereΔuje ΕΎrtve. U izveΕ‘taju Amnestija navodi se da je mali napredak ostvaren u pronalaΕΎenju nestalih i da se na spisku nalazi 1.658 ljudi. TakoΔe se istiΔe da je Specijalni sud za Kosovo formiran 28. juna u Hagu, a da kosovski poslanici nisu u decembru uspeli da ukinu zakon o tom sudu, koji smatraju da diskriminiΕ‘e protiv OVK.
BrnabiΔ i LGBT
βImenovanje Ane BnabiΔ za premijerku Srbije i njeno prisustvo na Paradi ponosa su neki ocenili kao napredak. MeΔutim, vlasti nisu zaΕ‘titile LGBT osobe i organizacije od diskriminacije, fiziΔkih napada i pretnjiβ, istiΔe se u izveΕ‘taju Amnestija i dodaje da je u aprilu Komitet UN za ljudska prava urgirao da Srbija efektivnije primeni zloΔin iz mrΕΎnje.
PRISTINA, 22.02.2018 β The Association of Journalists of Kosovo condemns the violent remove of a journalist from Kosovoβs Assembly on Thursday by a security individual. The latter first introduced himself as part of the cabinet of President of Assembly, and then as a member of Kosovo police.
According to incident report, the journalist was standing in front of the office of Assembly Speaker, Kadri Veseli where a meeting was taking place with representatives of political parties.
βInitially a person came out of office and asked me for accreditation and I presented it. Then, second person came out and told me that the accreditation has expired last December and I cannot stay there. But, we and other media have applied in time for renewal and it is the Assembly that has not proceeded with media accreditation,β Osmani told AJK. βHe strongly holds my arm and forcibly took me out of the Assembly building.β
The AJK considers that this event is a direct obstacle of work of media and condemns the violent act against the journalist, despite that there was a clarification among them about the expired accreditation. No one has the right to act with violence against media workers and in particular in situations when the reporting has direct interests for the public of our country.
This event once again reveals the mentality and the lack of respect of our public institutions for the work of journalists.
SARAJEVO, 21.02.2018. -The IslamicΒ Community in BiH condemns the physically attack on the journalists and publicistΒ Nedzad LaticΒ and especially because of the fact that the incident is observed as related to the mosque.
The IslamicΒ CommunityΒ expects from the authorities to investigateΒ all the circumstances related to this attack.Β It is unacceptable to be accustomed to living in a society that is used to resolve misunderstandings violently, especially if violence is used because of public statements and from people who are connected with the mosque and its sacred space. The mosques should in no case be related to violent and inappropriate behavior.
SARAJEVO, 21.02.2018. – The Steering Committee of BHJA strongly condemns the physical attack on the publicist and editor off the portal The Bosnia TimesΒ from Sarajeva. The attack happened on Tuesday afternoon, in front of the building LatiΔ lives in, shorty after leaving the Mosque he was praying in.
Causing bodily injuries and the attack on NedΕΎad LatiΔ is a brutal attack on freedom of expression and endagerment of safety of journalists, as well as a harsh attempt of suppression media freedom and critical writingΒ on actual events in Sarajevo, including the behavior of someΒ members of the Wahhabi movement.
The Steering Committee of BHJA requests an urgent investigation of all circumstances of the attack on LatiΔ, identifying theΒ perpetratorsΒ and the motives of attack,Β and to take legally prescribed measures in a fast and efficient manner, which will show how police structures and judicial institutions respond responsibly and timely in cases of attacks on journalists and endangering their security.
Steering Committee of BHJA expresses its deepest concernsabout the fact that this is another assault in February, which occurred immediately after performing a private religious rite in one of the Sarajevo mosques and is linked to journalistic work. Freelance journalist Faruk VeleΒ reported verbal attacks and threats that were directed to him through a number of online portals, that followed immediately after prayers at the MosqueΒ “Careva DΕΎamija” in Sarajevo, on which the religious leader stated that for some journalists is should be prayed as if they were death, althoughΒ they areΒ alive.
Steering Committee of BHJAΒ does not link the attacks on journalists NedΕΎad LatiΔ and Faruk Vela and the endangermentΒ their security with the activities of the Islamic Community in BiH, but expects from this, and all the other, religious institution to publicly condemn the disputable speech held in the Mosque “Careva dΕΎamija”as well as to act more proactive in preventing the speech and behavior of believers who may, in a direct or indirect way, question the freedom of the media and the security of journalists.