SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina — The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners and SafeJournalists Network (SJN) have voiced significant concerns following the adoption of a controversial law in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This regulation establishes a ‘special registry’ for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including many independent media outlets, potentially labeling them as foreign agents.
Critics argue that this legislation, passed by parliamentary majority on February 27, represents a retaliatory measure targeting dissenting voices against the government. The urgency with which the law was implemented follows recent charges against the entity’s president, Milorad Dodik, by the State Court for actions seen as separatist and defying an international peace envoy.
The law, initially proposed earlier in the year under urgent procedure after Dodik’s announcement, has not changed significantly from its original draft except for altered legal deadlines. Its implications are manifold: NGOs receiving any amount of foreign funding must register and undergo rigorous periodic reporting, with no minimum threshold set for foreign contributions. This mandates even the smallest of donations to be reported, increasing administrative burdens substantially.
Moreover, the regulation prohibits these organizations, including investigative media, from engaging in ‘political work’ and mandates that all NGO publications label themselves as ‘foreign agents.’ This could not only stigmatize but also potentially destabilize many organizations by interfering with their operational capabilities and funding.
The law’s passage coincided with a police raid on the online media outlet Capital.ba, an action that mirrors similar repressive measures in neighboring Serbia, exacerbating concerns over media freedoms and civil society operations in the region.
This move has drawn strong criticisms from several international bodies, including the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, and a Joint Opinion from OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission, along with three independent United Nations experts. These entities underscore the detrimental impact such legislation may have on freedom of expression, highlighting it as a step back for democratic engagement and transparency in Republika Srpska.
Leading press freedom and journalist organizations across Europe and the region under MFRR and SJN, including European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, Free Press Unlimited, and European Federation of Journalists, among others, strongly denounce the adoption of such laws. They argue that these measures undermine the core democratic principles of freedom of speech and press, while enabling further governmental overreach and harassment of independent media.
The endorsing organizations are calling for an immediate repeal of the law and urging the international community to take decisive actions against its implementation. They warn of the broader implications for Europe, where similar laws have already adversely affected media freedom, increasing risks of exile among journalists and reducing the effective functioning of watchdog entities.
These organizations, unified in their opposition, reiterate the need for adherence to democratic norms and the protection of independent media as fundamental to the health of any society. They continue to monitor and respond to developments, advocating for a reversal of policies that threaten these principles.
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