Incident at Žurnal press conference

(Patria) - Representatives of Žurnal held a press conference today on the topic of attacks on journalists, and the conference was symbolically held at Safeta Zajke Street 61, across from the Bosnaplast company, where the portal's cameraman was attacked a few days ago. During the conference, a minor incident occurred when a passerby attacked the present journalists because, as he himself stated, "they are talking about SDA."

The passerby who verbally attacked the journalists with curses is Senad Sućeska, a former member of the Second Vitez Brigade, reports the Patria agency correspondent.

The recent assault by the president of the Municipal Organization SDA Novi Grad Sarajevo, Huse Ćesir, on Žurnal portal's photojournalist Adi Kebo has caused numerous reactions.

"This is nonsense. You are not normal people, there are institutions and let the police, let the investigative bodies catch the man if he is guilty. You about SDA... Is this how a country is built? Come on, get out of here, shame on you. Don't cut me, there are investigative bodies, there is a court, if Ćesir is guilty, let him go to prison. What's wrong with you, I can't bark," said Sućeska.

We remind you that the photographer was verbally and physically attacked while filming the entrance to the company from a public area, across from Ćesir's private company, for the purpose of journalistic research into business operations, which Žurnal.ba has been conducting for some time. Cursing and insulting him, the owner of the company, Ćesir, tried to snatch the camera from the photographer Kebi, and this was eventually done by Ćesir's son, Muamer, who ran up to them and forcibly snatched the camera from the photographer's hands. There is also a police vehicle within the Bosnaplast company premises.

Eldin Karić from Žurnal said that he hopes those who prepared this have realized "that we are united."

"We publish the diploma affair, SOA, and the Prosecutor's Office investigates us. There is a lack of reaction from parties not in power. Honor to individuals. There was no shortage of colleagues who used the situation to call us extortionist journalists. Today we were attacked, tomorrow someone else," said Karić.

Karić added that there is also a lack of reaction from parties that are not part of the tripod of power, as well as from embassies and international organizations.

"Except for the reaction of the US Embassy, we have not noticed reactions and condemnations from other international representatives in BiH, nor from representatives of numerous international organizations that earn huge sums here by protecting human rights and media freedom. If this is their protection, please do not protect us anymore. We are dying," Karić said.

Selvedin Avdić, a journalist from Žurnal, pointed out that in BiH the logic has been converted, the victim is always to blame, not the perpetrator.

"I have no confidence in the Prosecutor's Office, because instead of arresting the person who sells us a diploma, they are investigating our journalist and her sources," said Avdić.