The safety of journalists and access to information in Bosnia and Herzegovina

THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF OPINION AND EXPRESSION

The safety of journalists  and access to information in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This assessment provides a situation analysis on the right to freedom of opinion and expression in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a focus on access to information and the safety of journalists. It was conducted within the framework of the Global Drive for Media Freedom, Access to Information and the Safety of Journalists - a joint global project funded by the Netherlands and implemented by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the project is led by OHCHR.

The assessment shows that journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina face various challenges to safely and freely exercise their freedom of expression. They are subjected to diverse forms of pressure, including political and economic pressure, as well as verbal attacks and threats, online harassment, and violations of their right to access information. Such pressure, violations and threats are underreported due to a lack of trust in the police and judicial institutions. Thus, the available statistics do not reflect the scope of the issue and vary depending on the entities collecting such data.

Journalists and media organizations have identified political meddling in editorial affairs, financial instability and restrictions to access information as the main obstacles to the free work of the media. Journalists working for media outlets funded by local governments particularly face restrictions to their freedom of expression and are not allowed to cover all the topics of public interest. During the research conducted for this assessment, journalists and others often cited defamation lawsuits as a tool to pressure media through intimidation, as it incurs unwarranted financial costs that can dissuade critical media investigations and reports.

The assessment is based on a research that consisted of collecting, compiling and analyzing information on the legal and policy framework related to the right to freedom of expression, access to information and the safety of journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and to examine violations of freedom of expression and access to information, as well as threats or use of violence, harassment, intimidation and other forms of pressure directed at persons seeking to exercise or to promote the exercise of the right to freedom of expression, with a focus on journalists, including women.