BH Journalists: Unprofessional statements by Gordana Tadić

SARAJevo, (Patria) - The Steering Board of the BH Journalists Association and the Helpline for Journalists strongly condemn the impermissible 'interference' of the BiH Prosecutor's Office in the work of journalists and media in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the unprofessional statements of the Chief Prosecutor of the BiH Prosecutor's Office, Gordana Tadić.

They remind that at a press conference on April 19 in Sarajevo, Prosecutor Tadić once again attempted to denounce journalists, dictate how they should work and to whom they should submit information obtained through legitimate investigative procedures for the benefit of the media and the public, all with the aim of covering up the insufficiently effective actions of the BiH Prosecutor's Office in the area of crime and corruption, especially in specific cases known as "falsification of diplomas" and "intelligence affair".

"We are taken aback by Prosecutor Tadić's enviable ignorance of media freedoms and the role of investigative journalism, including the obligation of the media to provide the public with all information of public interest, without having to seek permission from the BiH Prosecutor's Office, Prosecutor Tadić and her associates, or any other state or public body and institution," the statement reads.

The Steering Board of BH Journalists demands that the BiH Prosecutor's Office limit communication with journalists and the media to the framework of professional rules, decency, and courtesy, respecting the needs of the media and the public's right to be informed about issues of importance for citizens' safety, the lawful conduct of the judiciary, and the functioning of the rule of law as a whole.

At the same time, they are seeking an urgent response to the inquiry from the Helpline for Journalists dated March 25, 2018, regarding why the Prosecutor's Office and Prosecutor Tadić have not conducted an investigation into the unlawful questioning of Žurnal portal journalists Azra Omerović and Avdo Avdić at the premises of the BiH Prosecutor's Office, and what legal actions will be taken against the prosecutors who violated the Criminal Code of BiH, it was announced from the Steering Board of the BH Journalists Association.