9 October 2015

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović yesterday condemned an apparent arson attack on a car owned by BH Radio 1 Mostar correspondent Emil Karamatić

“I call on the authorities to condemn this attack at the highest level and to ensure a swift and transparent investigation bringing the perpetrators to justice,” Mijatović said. “Ensuring safety of journalists is essential for media freedom.”

On 6 October, Karamatić’s car was set on fire in front of his home in Višići, Čapljina. A police investigation has been launched. 

In a separate incident on 2 October, the online news portal Nezavisne Novine was subject to a hacker attack. Mijatović last year warned the government in Bosnia and Herzegovina of increasingly frequent cyber-attacks on news websites, and urged the authorities to investigate and protect online portals and allow journalists to perform their work in a free and safe manner.

The Representative recalled the high number of threats and attacks against journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina which are still not fully investigated, a key issue she raised previously with the authorities, most recently during her official visit in July this year.

Link: OSCE

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