News in English     | 30.04.2020. 19:09 |

BH Journalists Association issues a public protest to FUCZ Director Solak

FENA Press release

SARAJEVO, April 30 (FENA) - The Steering Committee of the BH Journalists Association and the Free Media Help Line expressed a public protest to Fahrudin Solak, Director of the FBiH Civil Protection Administration (FUCZ), over his request to the Prosecutor’s Office of the Sarajevo Canton to urgently initiate an investigation in order to examine “biased and false allegations”, in connection with the procurement of one hundred ventilators, worth 10.5 million KM.

In his request to the cantonal prosecutor’s Office, Mr. Solak states, among other, that “in the last few days, media outlets have falsely reported and issued allegations against the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the FBiH Civil Protection Staff, as well as the government body managing the protection and rescue operations and the FBiH Civil Protection Administration as expert service, in connection with the procurement of ventilators for medical facilities to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.”

Furthermore, Mr. Solak requests from the investigating authorities to “promptly investigate and examine biased and false allegations,“ it is noted in the reaction from the BH Journalists Association.

The BH JA Steering Committee and the Free Media Help Line strongly condemn Fahrudin Solak’s request to the Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office, which not only contains false accusations against journalists and media outlets in the country but also vividly illustrates the complete ignorance and denial of the role of the media in a democratic society.

It is shameful and unacceptable that Mr. Solak and other persons involved in the procurement of ventilators try to direct the focus of the investigative bodies to the media that have been reporting on the said procurement in the most responsible, professional way, and corroborated with official documents.

We emphasize that this is not the first time that representatives of the authorities, or even the judicial authorities in BiH, have labeled, as the main “culprits” for numerous affairs, journalists and the media who have disclosed those affairs and made them public.

This kind of a request to the Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office is not only a direct attack by representatives of FBiH institutions on journalists and media outlets in BiH, but it is also a violation of the right to freedom of expression and informing the citizens, but also an attempt of unlawfully institutionalized influence and pressure on investigative bodies dealing with this case.

The BH Journalists Association and the Free Media Help Line shall inform all relevant domestic and international organizations and institutions dealing with the protection of media rights and freedoms, as well as representatives of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina about the entire case. 

(FENA) S. R.

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