Attack on journalist awakens public, OSCE gets involved: Citizens overwhelmingly support Tihomir Bradvica

In Ljubuški, a device exploded in the night hours of August 17 in front of the Bradvica family home in Ljubuški. The main target of the attack was engineer Tihomir Bradvica, editor of the portal Ljubuski.net, a person who has been strongly publicly engaged for a long time in exposing all forms of deviant social phenomena in Ljubuški and the West Herzegovina Canton, writes the BH news agency Patria.

The journalist Bradvica's mother was also injured by glass shards in the attack.

The attack came after a series of repeated threats to Bradvica, after warning graffiti, obstruction of investigations, and attempts to cover up criminal offenses by local authorities.

The portal Ljubuški.info is one of the most professional local media outlets in BiH, which openly points to corruption and crime. This brutal attack was condemned by the Association of Journalists of Mostar and the HDZ 1990 party. After the attack, the OSCE Office, Office of the Freedom of the Media, also got involved in the case.

Unfortunately, reactions from journalistic associations in Sarajevo were absent, and all political parties remained silent, so this brutal attack on freedom of public speech remained unresolved and almost forgotten. In an interview he gave to the Patria agency immediately after this terrorist act, Tihomir Bradvica said:

- I am not a member of any party, I do not belong to any political option. I am an intellectual and I try to be an honorable and honest man. I am a mechanical engineer. But, I haven't been doing my job for three years because I am not allowed to.

Although he looked lonely the evening after the terrible explosion, Tihomir Bradvica continued to show courage and unwavering stances:

- The essence of this disastrous situation is that intellectuals have been deprived of the influence they should have in any society for years. Mediocrities and the most primitive individuals with secondary education are ruling. That is precisely why I am subjected to attempts to discredit me publicly, attempts to discredit me in every way. But they are not succeeding. My fellow citizens know me as their loyal man, who wishes only good for his community, his city, and his canton - Bradvica told Patria.

When asked if he believed the investigation would succeed in identifying both the perpetrator and the instigator, Bradvica expressed doubt.

- No, I don't believe so. I was physically attacked before by some people from the government. The trial was a farce and turned against me. I do not trust the mayor Nevenko Barbarić, I do not trust people from the government, Zdenko Ćosić, Zdravko Boras, the director of the cantonal police administration Milenko Madunović. I don't trust them because they distribute weapons to people with criminal records and criminal backgrounds. The director of the Border Police, Zoran Galić, also does that. Yes, that is terrible. After all, the Federal Police Administration is conducting an investigation into this, says Bradvica.          

Bradvica also said that he is not afraid or discouraged and that he will continue to work for the good of his city and canton.

With a delay, this act intrigued the public in BiH and neighboring Croatia, and numerous citizens launched petitions and discussions on social networks about this brutal attack on freedom of public speech and the family of journalist Tihomir Bradvica.