Željko Raljić is the responsible editor of the Banja Luka
portal Istinito. He is a long-time television journalist and presenter, an
associate of several media outlets in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and head of the
RTV BN correspondent in Banja Luka. Through many years of work, he faced
numerous pressures and attacks from the authorities, was detained, followed,
eavesdropped, and sued. However, he did not give up critical journalism.
He tells Politicki.ba that it is a vast field upon which
local politicians have been waging a silent war against the media and
journalists for years, even decades. From ignoring and latent pressures, to
open pressures and threats.
"A special story is the misuse of the Law on protection
against defamation by public office holders who have been litigating against
journalists and the media for years. Therefore, one of the key problems is the
legal framework that prevents journalists from performing their professional
tasks without hindrance on almost a daily basis. First and foremost, I am
referring to the Criminal Code, which limits the possibility of recording and
taking photographs, and now to the latest addition, the introduction of
criminal liability for defamation", says Raljić at the beginning of the
interview for Politicki.ba.
He adds that a particular problem is that the Law on Freedom
of Access to Information does not foresee any sanctions for those who avoid
providing information to the public.
"At the same time, the status of journalists in society
is worse now than it was during communism, when you went to the Committee for
an "opinion". Economically and socially, journalists are definitely
an endangered species in our society", assesses Raljić.
On his own skin, he felt the anger of the government when
journalists rightfully criticized it and questioned the effects and legality of
its work.
"There are numerous situations in which the authorities
have taken various measures against me, many of which are criminal offenses for
which no one is and will not be held accountable. I was detained and
interrogated by the police because I published the news that students plastered
the city with posters of members of the so-called "clan from Laktaši”, I
was called a British spy, followed and filmed, sued and prosecuted for
defamation multiple times, and so on. Many withdrew defamation lawsuits, and
some, regardless of their high positions, lost in court," recalls Raljić.
When asked why the authorities in Republika Srpska are so
bothered by free media and independent journalists, Raljić gives a concrete and
clear answer.
