Vasković: Americans are 'tidying up' the Balkans, now it's BiH's turn

(Patria) - Slobodan Vasković, a journalist, told N1 tonight that if he were to return to Banja Luka, where he once lived, he would be "very endangered" and that there is a high probability that he would "be deprived of his life".

He told Pressing that he has not been in this Bosnian city for two years and that during that time he lived in a total of seven countries. He revealed that he is currently in Serbia.

'I haven't been in Banja Luka for a full two and a half years. Since then, I have been a nomad blogger, I have lived in five different countries, one of which is Serbia, where I am currently located. I have been in a total of seven countries. Unfortunately, institutions do not exist in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is no one to react, the institutions are completely destroyed, they are privatized. Those who are at the head of the institutions behave with a perverse rule - the institution, that is me', said the N1 guest on tonight's Pressing.

According to him, he can go wherever he wants, but it's another matter what would happen to him then.

'I can go wherever I want on this planet, but it's a completely different matter what will happen to me. According to my information, I would be very endangered if I returned to Banja Luka and the territory of Republika Srpska. There is a high probability that I would be deprived of my life. I don't want anyone to take this as some kind of lament. I am a free man, I want to write the truth and what is really happening. I don't want to be anyone's slave for false security', he added.

Then he recounted that his car in Istočno Sarajevo was "recently tried to be set on fire".

'I don't drive a car usually. It was parked in front of my family home in Istočno Sarajevo. They wanted to set it on fire at the beginning of August. My whole family is outside Sarajevo, but part of the family lives in Istočno Novo Sarajevo, although they have nothing to do with my writing. Some do not share my views, but well, that's what happens', said Vasković.

He blamed the Minister of Internal Affairs of RS, Dragan Lukač, for the situation he is in.

'Dragan Lukač is absolutely the most responsible person for the situation I am in, not only me but a huge number of people in Banja Luka', said the guest of Pressing.

It is obvious that it was decided in Washington to "pack things up" here, so that they could deal with more important matters than the Balkans. The rulers are worried because of this. That Washington agreement was key to unfreezing the Kosovo conflict. After that comes the "tidying up", Bosnia and Herzegovina remained, said journalist and blogger Slobodan Vasković on Pressing.

Due to writing about crime, some journalists had to leave Bosnia and Herzegovina, and you are one of them. Can the rulers in BiH sleep peacefully with such a judiciary?

With such rulers, they can sleep peacefully for the next thousand years. We have come to a vicious circle that is impossible to solve as long as such forces are in power in both entities. For the judicial system to be established properly, political will is needed. There is no judiciary in BiH. They certainly will not show such political will. Change never comes from within.

How will change come, do you mean foreigners?

Yes, foreigners. They have regulated the judiciary in BiH before and made mistakes. They are aware of those mistakes. A major tidying up has begun in the Balkans, and now Bosnia and Herzegovina is next. In my opinion, the judiciary is problem number 1.

You say that the US has returned in a big way?

It is obvious that it was decided in Washington to "pack things up" here, so that they could deal with more important matters than the Balkans. The rulers are worried because of this. We can see from the quick reaction of the US, which established an office in Serbia, how quickly everything started to unfold. That Washington agreement was key to unfreezing the Kosovo conflict. After that comes the tidying up, Bosnia and Herzegovina remained. Before that, we had elections in Montenegro, the opposition took power from DPS after 30 years. Croatia is in the EU, and now it's BiH's turn.

Milorad Dodik wrote to US President Donald Trump again?

Dodik's letter to Trump is tragicomic. Trump doesn't even know who Dodik is. His letter is pure spin, it's for internal consumption. What he is doing by moving the BiH Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is an attempt to undermine the Washington agreement. That's how I see it, not as currying favor with Trump. I think he is doing it on Russia's orders. Džaferović and Komšić proposed that the issues of Kosovo's recognition and the relocation of the Embassy be withdrawn, but Dodik refused. Why conflict if it is known that it will not pass? What can that produce? It can only produce a worsening of relations between Belgrade and Sarajevo.