IGNORING Sabolić did not respond to consultations at the Presidency, did not reply to Konaković's letter!

The Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to BiH did not respond to consultations at the BiH Presidency due to the case of banning the editor of Istraga, Avdo Avdić, from entering the territory of the Republic of Croatia. The BiH Presidency, namely, invited the Croatian ambassador Ivan Sabolić for consultations on Thursday, but he said that before coming, he had to consult with the authorities in Zagreb. After that, Ambassador Sabolić did not respond anymore, nor did he appear at the BiH Presidency.

We remind you that two members of the BiH Presidency, Chairman Željko Komšić and member Denis Bećirović, issued statements after the authorities of the Republic of Croatia banned the editor of Istraga from entering the territory of Croatia, with the explanation that his name is on the “national register” compiled by the Security Intelligence Agency (SOA).

“The unfounded and unjustified ban on entry into the Republic of Croatia for the best investigative journalist in the region, Avdo Avdić, represents a blow to the relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia,” said Komšić.

He added that such treatment of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Croatian authorities, who have not broken the law and against whom no criminal proceedings are being conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina or elsewhere, is nothing but an attack on the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“The decision to ban also represents a violation of the fundamental rights and freedoms of journalists, which is contrary to European values and democratic standards prevailing in the European Union. I call on the institutions of the European Union to strongly condemn the denial of fundamental freedoms to journalists, and to ensure that they are allowed to work and operate unhindered,” stated Komšić, adding that “the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina will be invited for consultations to explain such actions by the authorities of the Republic of Croatia”.

“All regional cooperation processes envisage respect for journalistic principles and freedom of movement. Bearing this in mind, and consistently advocating for European principles and values, I consider the ban on entry into the Republic of Croatia for the Bosnian-Herzegovinian journalist Avdo Avdić to be unacceptable,” announced member of the BiH Presidency Denis Bećirović.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH, Elmedin Konaković, also requested information from the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in BiH regarding the case of banning the editor of Istraga from entering.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH expresses its respect for the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Sarajevo and on this occasion requests information on the reasons for the entry ban measure into the Republic of Croatia, which was imposed on a citizen of BiH and prominent journalist Mr. Avdo Avdić on November 12, 2025, at the Stara Gradiška border crossing. The Ministry requests that the requested information be provided as soon as possible. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina also takes this opportunity to reiterate its expressions of respect to the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Sarajevo,” the BiH MFA announced.

There has been no response to this letter either, because Croatian diplomats in BiH apparently believe that they are not obliged to respect BiH institutions, even in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We remind you that in November last year, the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to BiH accused the media in BiH of wanting to discredit the Republic of Croatia. He stated at the time that he “firmly rejects the claims of media and politicians from BiH that Croatia is trying to influence the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights through donations.”

“It is quite clear that support for this Council of Europe project does not and cannot affect the proceedings in a specific case pending before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in any way. It is therefore evident that by disseminating such insinuations, the attempt to discredit the Republic of Croatia is unsuccessfully continuing – said the Croatian ambassador to BiH at the time, who apparently also wants to dictate the media scene in BiH, writes istraga.ba