SARAJEVO, 11.2.2019.- Steering Committee of BHJA requests from public officials in institutions, from political individuals and sports workers, as well as all other public persons in BiH to respect media freedoms, rights and professional integrity of journalists and other media employers.
Steering Committee of BHJA draws attention to three incidents over the past weekend whose actors, in an unauthorized and arrogant way, questioned journalistic dignity and free media work: journalist Dino Kurbegovic was forbidden to enter the football stadium in Zenica and to report on the match between football representations Čelik and Novi Travnik with the explanation that he “writes negatively” about the football club from Zenica ; in Sarajevo, Damir Niksic, a member of the Social Democratic Party of BiH, grossly insulted and cursed the journalists who followed the sessions of the SDP Main Committee; police officers of the Banja Luka Police Department, without any need and contrary to the existing legal procedures, legitimized the journalists Vanja Stokic, the editor of the E-traffic portal and Goran Dakic, the correspondent of Dnevni Avaz, at a protest walk of the members of the Justice for David group in Banja Luka, although they were carried visible journalistic accreditations.
Steering Committee of BHJA strongly condemns these acts, considers the to be examples of violating freedom of expression and wallowed interfering of officials in the journalistic work. It is in particular inappropriate for individuals to decide, on a personal basis or preference, whether journalists will be able to monitor sporting or other events or peaceful gathering of citizens. In this connection, the Steering Committee of BHJA calls on the leaders of this institutions to take over the responsibility for the incidents in Banja Luka, Zenica and Sarajevo, and sanction inappropriate behaving and acts directed against media freedom in BiH.