Bosnia and Herzegovina a police state?

Banja Luka, October 27, 2011 – Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) considers the decree of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo canton Mehmed Budimlic to launch the criminal investigation against the magazine “Slobodna Bosna” as entirely unacceptable and unlawful.

TI BiH appeals to the Ministry to give the explanation on which legal frameworks the launching of such investigation against the media is based on, particularly bearing in mind that the decree was sent after “Slobodna Bosna” had published the article about the minister himself

This kind of pressure on the media represents a return to the totalitarian regime and absolutely violates freedom of speech and freedom of expression. TI BiH also reminds us that there are legal means of protection against defamation, if the minister’s prestige has been damaged by the article in “Slobodna Bosna”, which doesn’t include the launching of criminal investigation against the media and journalists.

It is obvious that this case deals with illegal attempts of confrontations with the media and with the crudest violation of human rights and freedoms. Therefore, TI BiH invites the minister Budimlic to give in his resignation at once unless he cannot prove the legality of such proceedings, because the use of investigative bodies for personal confrontations seems inappropriate for a Minister of Internal Affairs who grossly violates laws instead of enforcing it.