Bosnia and Herzegovina: authorities must urgently break the deadlock facing public broadcasters and solve the financial problems - Article

Following the temporary interruption of the TV and radio programmes of the RTV Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 8 May 2024, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners denounce irresponsible political management, which directly violates citizens’ right to freedom of information.

Serbia: Court of Appeals acquits suspects of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija’s murder - Article

OBCT and MFRR and SJN partners strongly denounce the decision of the Belgrade Court of Appeals to acquit the four suspects for the murder of Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija

Report launch: Bosnia and Herzegovina, media freedom in survival mode - Article

OBCT and MFRR partner organizations published the full report from their international press freedom fact-finding mission that took place last October in Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Poland: Recommendations for democratic reform for press freedom and public media - Article

OBCT joins MFRR partners in renewing their recommendations to the new Polish government to improve the media freedom situation in the country in line with democratic values and the rule of law  

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Republika Srpska president Dodik verbally attacks journalist - Article

OBCT joins partner organisations of the MFRR and South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) in condemning Milorad Dodik's verbal attacks and threats against N1 journalist Snezana Mitrović 

Also available in ITA

Bosnia and Herzegovina and the EU, Dodik is working against the integration process - Article

Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik once again attacks the EU, accusing it of applying double standards to Bosnia and Herzegovina on the integration path. But Dodik's own initiatives, which limit freedom of association and expression, are distancing the country from the European Union

By Massimo Moratti

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA 

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Media freedom in survival mode - Article

Following a press freedom mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 22-25 October 2023, the partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) warn that media freedom in the country is in decline against a backdrop of new restrictive laws, hostile rhetoric and denigration of journalists by public officials, and ongoing systemic challenges to the independence of public service media

Reporting surveillance: the experience of Omer Benjakob - Article

Investigative tech reporter Omer Benjakob, member of the desk behind the publication of the cybersecurity focused newsletter NatSec+ for the newspaper Haaretz, speaks to OBCT/MFRR about the challenges of covering the surveillance tech industry in Israel, one of the countries that has developed this industry the most

MFRR partners to carry out media freedom mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina - Article

Partner organizations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) will travel to Banja Luka and Sarajevo from 22 to 25 October 2023 to assess the current state of play for media freedom in the country and start a dialogue with the authorities, less than a year after the European Union decided to grant Bosnia and Herzegovina candidate status

BiH: Republika Srpska reintroduces the crime of defamation - Article

On Thursday 20 July, the People's Assembly of the Republika Srpska adopted the Law on Amendments to the Crimial Code envisaging criminalization of defamation. Calls from international and local actors to protect freedom of speech and withdraw the scandalous provision that qualifies defamation as a criminal offense have gone unheeded

By Arman Fazlić

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA and BHS