A complaint commission of the Communications Regulatory Agency (CRA) of Bosnia and Herzegovina drafted a proposal of an article in the Criminal Code stipulating sanctions for all attacks on journalists which occur during their work, said Nada Dalipagic, the commission member.

“I believe this would really contribute to the exclusive protection of journalists on all occasions, and I have been advocating that idea to insert this in the Criminal Code to have such attacks sanctioned,” Dalipagic told the Fena news agency.

She harshly condemned any sort of violence particularly the assaults on reporters as, according to her, they are in a similar situation as lawyers – working on their own.

“In order to contribute to the solving of these cases in the best possible way, the sole responsibility is on the prosecutor’s office. On grounds of the Criminal Procedure Law, investigations are conducted by prosecutor’s office, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive investigation, issue an indictment against attackers and adequately punish them, and then publish that, which would contribute to a better protection of journalists,” she underlined.

According to Miodrag Zivanovic, a university teacher and the CRA’s complaints commission member, a new law should treat journalists as officials.

“It is possible to legally solve it, and it is a real question if this could be applied at all if solved in a legal act. This is such country, we are a society that simply doesn’t implement what’s on the paper,” Zivanovic added.

There are different attacks on journalists apart from the physical ones, he said pointing out that the reporters’ employment is often in jeopardy.

“Journalists are often fired, removed from their jobs, workplaces. That’s also dangerous,” Zivanovic concluded.