Bosnia and Herzegovina

(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is gravely concerned about the recent convictions of Senad Avdic, editor-in-chief of the Sarajevo-based independent weekly magazine “Slobodna Bosna” on charges of criminal libel. On 23 June 1999, Judge Mirsad Shehovic of the Sarajevo Municipal Court sentenced Avdic to a two-month suspended jail term on charges of criminal libel. If he is […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ media release. MEDIA RELEASE Brussels, February 25, 1999 IFJ Warns Press Code for Bosnia Could Limit Press Freedom The IFJ today criticised the draft press code proposed by the Independent Media Commission of Bosnia-Herzegovina (IMC) stating that it was too proscriptive and failed to provide journalists with an […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – According to the IFJ’s information, on 13 September 1998 there was a serious incident of harassment of journalists working for RTVBiH while on assignment in Banja Luka. RTVBiH management, and the IFJ’s affiliate organisation, the Independent Union of Journalists of BiH, reported that three colleagues – Mladen Paunovic, Kemal Miminovic, and Brano Galvocevic […]

(RSF/IFEX) – According to information made available by RSF on 30 July 1998, on 29 July 1998, a grenade exploded in Sarajevo (the capital city), several meters away from the offices of the bi-weekly “Dani”, causing damage. The explosion could be linked to the recent publication of a series of articles about the link between […]

(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a letter written to William S. Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense, regarding the creation of a press control agency in Bosnia- Herzegovina. Vienna, 3 May 1998 Dear Mr. Secretary, The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors and media executives, is most concerned over plans by the United […]

(WPFC/IFEX) – On 28 April 1998, the WPFC released a letter outlining its deep concern over plans by Western allies to set up a press censorship panel in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The WPFC’s position is that if those on the “right” side censor today, what is to prevent censorship tomorrow by the “wrong” side? This is a […]

(Freedom House/IFEX) – The following is a letter to the Editor of the New York Times from Leonard Sussman on press controls in Bosnia. It was printed 27 April 1998: 24 April 1998 To the Editor: The new press-control agency in Bosnia created by the United States and its allies seems to be outrageous censorship, […]

(CPJ/IFEX) The editor of the independent “Dani” magazine in Sarajevo, Senad Pecanin, was convicted on 19 January 1998 by a municipal court of criminal libel against the editor of the daily “Dnevni Avaz”. Pecanin received a conditional sentence of two months in prison, which he would be required to serve if he is caught violating […]

(RSF/IFEX) – While speaking at a symposium of Bosnian intellectuals on 29 November 1997, Bosnian President Alija Itzetbegovic attacked the magazines “Svijet”, “Slobodna Bosna” and “Dani”, describing them, in an ironic tone, as “independent”. Itzetbegovic also called the magazines “traitors”, and said that they “spread information contrary to the interests of Bosnia-Herzegovina”. He added that […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 27 November 1997, following the publication of information in the media concerning the death of Milorad Ostojic, correspondent for Alternativa Informativna Mreza (AIM) in Teslic (about 60 km west of Tuzla in Republika Sprska), AIM editor-in- chief Drazena Peranic published a communique calling on representatives of the international community in the country […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 17 November 1997, a bomb destroyed the vehicle of Goran Matrak, editor-in-chief of the daily “Glas Srpski”, close to nationalist authorities in Pale and openly hostile to President Biljana Plavsic, who is supported by the international community. The bombing occurred in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska. In addition to destroying Matrak’s car, the […]

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following letter was sent by ARTICLE 19 to the High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Carlos Westendorp, who is the top civilian official in the country. In the letter, ARTICLE expresses concern over the seizure by NATO forces of Serbian television transmitters. (According to news reports, NATO-led troops seized transmitters and shut down […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – An explosion in the late evening of 27 September 1997 destroyed the editorial offices of “Alternativa”, the only alternative newspaper in the Bosnian Serb town of Doboj. Although no one was injured by the blast, the newspaper’s offices were destroyed and several adjacent apartments were damaged. A fire broke out and threatened to […]

(WPFC/IFEX) – The following is the full text of a letter sent by the World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC) to U.S.A. Secretary of Defense William Cohen in regard to threats by U.S. and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) officials to jam pro-Serbian radio and television broadcasts in anticipation of possible interference by Serbian government forces […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 14 September 1997, Stefan Borg, a journalist with the privately-owned Swedish television station TV-4, was injured by a group of armed men. The men attempted to stop the vehicle carrying Borg and his colleagues from Sarajevo to Pale, and then opened fire. Borg was struck in the arm and the back. The […]

On 11 October 1996, Bosnian Serb security forces assaulted Michael Kirsch, a freelance journalist and cameraman working for Insight News Television Limited (INTV) of Great Britain. Kirsch was videotaping a destroyed house in Jusici, a Muslim village now under the control of the Bosnian Serb Republic, when, according to Kirsch’s own account of the incident, […]