SafeJournalists: We Demand an Explanation from the Institutions of the Republic of Croatia Regarding the Ban on Entry into the Country for Journalist from BiH Avdo Avdić

(Patria) - The SafeJournalists network expresses serious concern over the decision of the institutions of the Republic of Croatia to ban the entry of journalist and editor of the portal Istraga.ba, Avdo Avdić from Bosnia and Herzegovina into Croatia.

Avdić was handed a Decision on refusal of entry into the Republic of Croatia by the Croatian Border Police at the Gradiška border crossing on November 12 at 1:28 PM, with a written note that his name is on the national register of persons banned from entering the country. The Ministry of the Interior of Croatia issued the said Decision without any additional explanation for such a decision.

In a statement to the SafeJournalists network, Avdić stated that he believes the reason for the ban is his participation in a panel discussion recently held at the Islamic Center in Zagreb, where, among other things, he spoke about the electoral legislation in BiH and the positions of official Zagreb towards Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“The decision I received does not state the reasons why I was banned from entering the Republic of Croatia. It only says that I am on the national register. If I had committed a criminal offense on the territory of Croatia or the EU, I would have been arrested. If I had committed a misdemeanor, I would have been taken before a misdemeanor judge to be punished. However, they simply banned my entry into the territory of the Republic of Croatia, so I can only speculate about what this is about,” says Avdić.

Regarding the decision of the Croatian MUP, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH, Elmedin Konaković, and the member of the Presidency of BiH, Željko Komšić, reacted, announcing that they would officially request an explanation from the Croatian Embassy in Sarajevo as to why journalist Avdić was banned from entering the country. They warned that this is a serious blow to media freedom in the entire region and called on the institutions of the European Union to react to this case. The member of the Presidency of BiH, Denis Bećirović, also reacted, calling the ban by the Croatian authorities “unacceptable.”

The SafeJournalists network considers this procedure by the competent institutions of Croatia a direct violation of the right to freedom of movement and the right of journalists to report and speak on matters of public interest, whether they are related to one country or are transnational in nature. The arbitrary decision to ban a journalist from entering Croatia, without any concrete and reasoned explanation, represents a dangerous precedent and a restriction of media freedom that is completely incompatible with the rule of law and democratic practices of the European Union, of which Croatia is a full member.

SafeJournalists calls on the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia and other competent institutions to immediately explain the reasons why Avdo Avdić was prevented from entering the country, and to enable journalists to work without hindrance.

The SafeJournalists network will inform relevant national and international stakeholders.

Every attack on journalists is an attack on democracy, the public interest, and fundamental human rights.

Pristina – Skopje – Sarajevo – Zagreb – Belgrade – Podgorica, November 13, 2025.

Croatian Journalists' Association

Association of Journalists of Kosovo

Association of Journalists of Macedonia

Association of BH Journalists

Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia

Media Union of Montenegro