Journalists from Banja Luka and Mostar, recipients of the journalist award 'Srdjan Aleksic', visited the grave of the hero after whom the award for social responsible reporting was named in Trebinje today.

The reporters and the representatives of the Helsinki Parliament from Banja Luka were welcomed by Srdjan’s father, Rade, who said responsible journalists contributed to the fact that Srdjan’s heroic act was not politicized.

Young Bosnian Serb Srdjan Aleksic saw his neighbor, an ethnic Bosniak, being harassed by a group of Bosnian Serb soldiers at the beginning of the 1992-95 war. He tried to protect the man but the soldiers then turned against Aleksic, beating him with their rifle butts until he fell into a coma. Aleksic died a week later at the hospital.

“Personally, I could not even imagine how much this event will eventually wake up in people their humanity, love, the need to have a friend and the need to understand your enemy,” Rade Aleksic said.

The visit was part of a series of events marking the Media Freedom Day on May 3. The aim is to symbolically remind journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina of the essential mission of their profession.

“We will initiate the establishment of a media group that would be named after Srdjan. It should gather all recipients of the ‘Srdjan Aleksic’ award and those who are ready to fight for peace, truth and a more just society,” said Milkica Milivojevic, the recipient of the 2012 award.

The initiative is supported by the Helsinki Parliament of the citizens of Banja Luka, which founded the “Srdjan Aleksic” award in 2010 together with the Foundation “Girls,” from Sarajevo and the Association of Young Journalists of Republika Srpska.

So far, 27 journalists and media organizations have received the award. Most of the recipients are from Banja Luka.