Response to Benjamina Karić: Your North Korean methods cannot stop the work of media and journalists

By: Amra Vrabac

The Mayor of Novo Sarajevo Municipality, Benjamina Karić, today publicly released two media inquiries that two media outlets sent to the municipality. One is from the Patria News Agency, and the other is from N1 television.

And instead of an answer or silence, as we have become accustomed to from officials of the 'Trojka' coalition, at least regarding Patria's inquiries because they do not like the editorial policy of a media outlet that has existed for 12 years, Mayor Karić publicly released the inquiries and the journalists' full names on social media, accusing Patria of exerting political pressure on her because we are asking why trees and greenery are being cut down today. If we are exerting "political" pressure on her, and we are a media outlet, what kind of pressure is she exerting on me as a journalist for asking questions related to the work of the mayor and the municipality she leads.

And while she brazenly claims that these two media outlets are "blaming" her for the death of a fellow citizen in Grbavica, Karić forgets that it was precisely she who, yesterday, or whoever is advising her to do so on social media, shifted responsibility to KJKP Park in her responses on Facebook regarding the cutting of trees.

Moving from one position to another did not mean Benjamina Karić taking responsibility. She opted for a different tactic: attacking the media, journalists, political opponents, or anyone who dares to ask her any question.

Removing trees that pose a danger is commendable, but not cutting down trees indiscriminately as anyone pleases. There must be a plan for how this is done. This is already the second year of Mayor Karić's term. And the second winter. If there were previous reports that certain trees needed to be removed, why wasn't it done then.

Mayor Karić could have done all of this if she had wanted to. But she chose to blame the journalists for everything and play the victim.

As a journalist, I have written thousands of articles, covered thousands of topics, but it has happened to me only twice that I write about myself, and it is not common for journalists to become the news. The first time was when I had an incident at the SDA headquarters in 2014, from where they wanted to expel me, and the second time now, when Mayor Karić, for reasons known only to her, puts a target on Patria and me.

Mayor Karić forgets that Patria was one of the few media outlets that stood up in her defense as a woman, the mayor of Sarajevo, when she was the target of the most vile photomontages and insults. But back then, we were apparently not serving a particular political party, as she claims today.

The pressure that Benjamina Karić exerted today on two media outlets because they simply asked questions she didn't like speaks volumes about her, as well as the political environment from which she comes and which surrounds her.

And let it be clear to you, Madam Mayor: You have not scared me, and I will continue to ask you questions. You will not settle scores with me because I am not a politician. This is still a democracy, and the media are free. And neither you nor your North Korean methods will change that.