Steps Taken Toward More Efficient Processing of Reports Focusing on Threats to Safety and Attacks against Journalists in Sarajevo Canton

Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor’s Office regulated the manner of documenting of criminal offences targeting persons who perform duties of importance to the public in the area of information dissemination, with the support of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. A prosecutor was selected to serve as a point of contact and coordinate with associations of journalists and law enforcement agencies involved in investigating and prosecuting these types of criminal offences. The Office of the Chief Prosecutor will perform oversight to ensure that these cases are handled efficiently and as a matter of priority.

The purpose of these activities, which are aligned with the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and international recommendations and guidelines, is effective and efficient protection of journalists and media professionals, who contribute to public debate, by the criminal justice system.

These activities are the result of the first coordinating meeting on safety of journalists in Sarajevo Canton, initiated by Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor’s Office, in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The meeting was attended by representatives of associations of journalists, law enforcement agencies of the Federal Police Administration, Sarajevo Canton Ministry of Interior and Human Rights Ombudsperson, Jasminka Džumhur. Participants of the meeting expressed commitment to improvement of engagement on reports focusing on threats to safety of journalists and attacks against journalists.