News in English     | 16.03.2018. 10:49 |

Formal and legal constraints on freedom of expression in BiH

FENA Press release

SARAJEVO, March 16 (FENA) - In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are some formal and legal constraints on the freedom of expression and work of journalists which are neither needed in a democratic society nor in line with European standards, but rather an instrument of political pressure on the media, stated, among other things, the participants of the seminar on constraints on the freedom of expression in BiH, which began yesterday in Sarajevo.

The participants emphasized that freedom of expression limits the application of the Law on Defamation Protection that is not in line with European standards, then the non-compliance with the provisions of the Law on Freedom of Access to Information, as well as legal decisions by institutions that restrict access to public events and the manner of choosing the administration of public services.

Editor at the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN) Aladin Alagić said the libel lawsuits limit the work of the media, and pointed out that there are certain mechanisms that help this media outlet to avoid them, but also to turn certain legal restrictions to their own advantage.

"We try to avoid the lawsuits through a detailed examination of all the facts of the story, as well as by avoiding the violation of the reputation and honor of the people we are writing about," he said.

In addition, the CIN journalists often encounter in their work the problem of refusing to comply with the Freedom of Access to Information Act by the institutions from which information is sought.

Oslobođenje journalist Gordana Katana said that "limiting access to public events in public institutions for certain journalists and media outlets represents pressure on the media and limitation of the right to journalistic work."

The inter-professional seminar "Constraints on freedom of expression in BiH: an instrument of political pressure against journalists/media and/or the legitimate application of European standards and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights" brought together more than 40 participants, representatives of the judiciary, lawyers, journalists, experts in the field of media law.

The two-day workshop was organized by the Council of Europe and the Association of BiH Journalists within the framework of JUFREX - a joint project of the EU and the Council of Europe - Reinforcing Judicial Expertise on Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media in South East Europe.

(FENA)
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