An invitation was sent to the Republic of Srpska authorities to withdraw the draft law on foreign agents At the conference in Banja Luka

Numerous representatives of BiH civil society, media, experts and the international community called on the Republic of Srpska authorities to withdraw the draft law on the so-called foreign agents at the conference “Civil Society and Media: Critical Voices under Pressure”, held at the Youth Center in Banja Luka on September 22, 2023, organized by the EU Office in BiH together with the OSCE Mission in BiH and Transparency International in BiH.

Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in BiH, Ambassador Johann Sattler reminded that the recent Report of the European Commission for Bosnia and Herzegovina marked the criminalization of defamation, as well as the draft law on foreign agents as major steps backwards on the country’s European path.

He added that “democracies do not put obstacles in the way of legitimate critical voices.” Critical voices and different points of view are necessary not only for the vitality of democracy, but also of society, helping, for example, to fight corruption and intolerance. The draft law on the so-called foreign agents would bring Republic of Srpska closer to the standards of authoritarian regimes instead of the standards of the European Union. “The draft law on foreign agents is a step backwards for fundamental freedoms, as well as the European path, and therefore it should be withdrawn,” emphasized Ambassador Sattler.

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina Brian Aggeler reminded that the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) together with the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe prepared a detailed opinion on the law on foreign agents of the Republic of Srpska in which it is stated that the authorities of the Republic of Srpska must reconsider the adoption of this law because it seriously violates the obligations and commitment of Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of human rights in the area of freedom of association and expression.

“We are deeply disappointed that the Republic of Srpska authorities have decided to ignore this opinion, as well as the opinions of a number of other international human rights mechanisms, including three UN special rapporteurs, and instead proceed with the adoption of this harmful and regressive law,” added Aggeler.

The conference was attended by numerous civil society organizations and activists who expressed their views against the proposed draft law, as well as the overall atmosphere or the diminishing space for critical voices that has been especially created in the Republic of Srpska in recent months.

“Now we have the labeling of civil society organizations as agents of foreign influence, the work of non-governmental organizations that monitor and criticize the work of institutions and authorities is restricted, and on the other hand, non-profit media, which are also citizens’ associations, are under pressure. We see all this as a strategic approach by the government to stifle freedom of expression and to send a message that only the way of thinking and acting propagated by members of the ruling coalition in the Republic of Srpska can and should be publicly present,” said Ivana Korajlić, executive director of Transparency International in BiH.

The conference was also addressed by civil society activists from Georgia, a country where public pressure recently forced the authorities to abandon plans to introduce similar laws.