Bosnia and Herzegovina: The CFWIJ condemns the verbal attack against journalist Sladjana Jaserevic

October 4, 2021 - Milorad Dodik, the Serbian member of the tripartite presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, verbally attacked N1 journalist Sladjana Jaserevic when asked about a case known as ‘Icon’.   

Milorad Dodik told the journalist to ask those who started the ‘Icon’ affair, stating that N1 television was in part responsible for fabricating the story.

"Your television invented the Icon, and you lied about everything, not personally, even though you were a part of it,” Dodik is quoted by N1.

In her attempt to clarify her question, the journalist was interrupted by Dodik telling her not to argue with him. 

The Gilded Icon, founded 300 years ago in Lugansk, an occupied territory of Ukraine, was handed over by Milorad Dodik to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting held on December 14 in Sarajevo. 

Following the reports on the ‘Icon’, the Embassy of Ukraine in Bosnia and Herzegovina sent a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asking for information on the origin of the icon, referring to it as “Ukrainian cultural heritage” N1 reports.

Sladjana herself told N1 she felt terrible by Dodik crossing the “red line”, adding it was not the first time Dodik attacked journalists. 

“I remind you that my colleague Vladimir Kovačević was brutally beaten after Dodik's lies about our reporting on the activities of the group ‘Justice for David’,” said Sladjana. 

“Who can guarantee that tomorrow some of his ‘fans’ or followers will not do the same to some of us or attack our children?” she told N1.

Sladjana noted that none of the other journalists present at the conference reacted to Dodik’s behavior. She added that such a lack of response to verbal attacks permits Dodik and others to disrespect media representatives. 

“As for me, I will never allow anyone to ‘trample’ me, and I will always defend my colleagues,” said Sladjana.  “Those who think and act differently, for whatever reason, should just ask themselves what will happen when it is their turn? Will someone protect them then?”

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed at the use of such rhetoric to silence journalists. We urge the authorities to respect press freedom in the country and take action against public figures that target journalists.