On 29 March 1996, Bosnian journalist Srecko Latal was apprehended by Bosnian Serb police. Latal, who works for the Associated Press (AP) news agency, was on his way to investigate a series of explosions in Grbavica, located near the border between the Bosnian and Serb zones in Bosnia Herzegovina. Once there, he was confronted and […]
On 29 March 1996, Bosnian journalist Srecko Latal was apprehended
by Bosnian Serb police. Latal, who works for the Associated Press
(AP) news agency, was on his way to investigate a series of
explosions in Grbavica, located near the border between the
Bosnian and Serb zones in Bosnia Herzegovina. Once there, he was
confronted and assaulted by a group of Serb youths who were
protesting the arrest of two other Serbs by police from the
Bosnian Federation. Bosnian Serb police subsequently apprehended
Latal, apparently with the intention of arresting him. An Italian
patrol from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization implementation
force (IFOR) then intervened in order to free Latal and escort
him from the scene in an IFOR armoured vehicle. The IFOR soldiers
allegedly then pushed back under threat a crowd of journalists
which had gathered around the vehicle. The soldiers subsequently
handed back Latal to the Bosnian Serb police; he was reportedly
exchanged for the two Serbs who had been arrested by the Bosnian
Federation police. Latal was released a few hours later.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
its soldiers regarding this incident, and that the details of the
investigation be made public
Appeals To
Admiral Leighton Smith
IFOR Commander-in-chief
Sarajevo
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Fax: +387 71 44 76 00
Please copy appeals to the originator if possible.
