Željko Kopanja has died

The director and owner of "Nezavisne novine" and "Glas Srpske" Željko Kopanja died today from the consequences of a heart attack, it was announced by this news company, Patria reports.

Kopanja died in Banja Luka, at the age of 62. He was born in Kotor Varoš on October 21, 1954. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics, and began his journalistic career in Banja Luka's "Glas", today's "Glas Srpske".

During the armed aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, he worked as a journalist for the Belgrade weekly "Telegraf". After the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he founded the weekly and daily newspaper "Nezavisne novine", which is the majority owner of "Glas Srpske", and within which radio stations Nes radio and Castra Nes also operate.

Kopanja survived an assassination attempt in 1999. Explosives were planted under his vehicle. Kopanja survived the assassination attempt, but lost his legs, writes Patria.