BH journalists: Public protest to Fahrudin Solak

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Management Board of the BH Journalists Association and the Journalists' Help Line are issuing a public protest to Fahrudin Solak, director of the Federal Civil Protection Administration, due to his request to the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Sarajevo Canton for an urgent initiation of an investigation to examine, as stated, the "biased and false allegations" regarding the procurement of one hundred respirators, worth 10.5 million marks.

In the request sent to the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office, Director Solak states, among other things, that "in the past few days, the media have been spreading untruths and conducting an inappropriate media campaign against the Government of the Federation of BiH, the Federal Civil Protection Headquarters, as well as the government body managing protection and rescue operations and the Federal Civil Protection Administration as a professional service, in connection with the procurement of respirators for medical institutions due to the coronavirus pandemic." Furthermore, Mr. Solak demands that the investigative authorities "urgently conduct an investigation and examine the biased and false allegations."

After almost all media in Bosnia and Herzegovina have reported in detail in recent days on the non-transparent and highly suspicious procurement of respirators, which was approved by Fahrudin Solak's signature, together with his associates, he is now manipulatively trying to shift responsibility for potentially illegal actions, which are yet to be determined by an investigation, onto journalists and media houses?! Such conduct represents a brutal attack on media freedom and freedom of expression, and an abuse of the crisis situation and COVID-19 to prevent journalists from performing their duties.

The Management Board of BH Journalists and the Journalists' Help Line strongly condemn the request of Fahrudin Solak to the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office in Sarajevo, which not only contains false accusations directed against journalists and the media, but also vividly illustrates a complete ignorance and denial of the role of the media in a democratic society. It is shameful and unacceptable that Mr. Solak and other actors in the respirator procurement process are trying to direct the interest of investigative authorities towards the media, which have reported responsibly, professionally, and supported by official documents in recent days on the mentioned procurement.

We note that this is not the first time that representatives of the authorities, and even judicial bodies in BiH, have labeled journalists and the media who have uncovered and presented these affairs to the public as the main "culprits" for various scandals. Such a request to the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office represents not only a direct attack by representatives of federal institutions on journalists and media houses in BiH, a gross violation of the right to freedom of expression and information of citizens, but also an attempt at illegal institutional influence and pressure on the investigative authorities dealing with this case.

Regarding all of the above, the BH Journalists Association and the Journalists' Help Line will inform all relevant domestic and international organizations and institutions dealing with the protection of media rights and freedoms, as well as representatives of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina.