A hearing regarding the sale of property owned by the Bosnian public broadcaster BHRT began Tuesday morning in the Sarajevo Municipal Court, following a lawsuit filed by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for an outstanding debt, which, with interest, amounts to slightly over 16 million Bosnian marks (€ 8.18 million). However, according to N1, no potential buyers attended the hearing, and it appears that the auction will be postponed.

Although a formal hearing did not occur, Almina Pilav, Deputy Attorney General of Bosnia and Herzegovina, presented arguments, asserting that the properties in question cannot be auctioned off, and reiterated the previous legal objection.

Pilav proposed a resolution to the Court, seeking to annul all previous actions related to the sale. The Attorney General’s Office emphasized that ownership disputes are still pending before the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo and the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and decisions are yet to be made.

Pilav further argued that the 2022 decision by the Sarajevo Municipal Court, ordering the sale via auction, was unlawful and repeated the request for the Court to accept the Attorney General’s objections. She cited the Law on the Temporary Ban on the Disposal of State Property, which stipulates that state property can only be disposed of in accordance with this law, rendering any actions, decisions, or instruments contrary to it null and void. This law has been in effect since 2005, with the most recent amendments made in 2022.

The Attorney General’s Office also reminded the court that, under the Law on Enforcement Proceedings, properties belonging to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the city, or the municipality cannot be subject to sale, and by analogy, the same applies to state-owned property.

Additionally, a third party was present at the hearing: the owner of the company Minesko Zeus, who requested a halt to the enforcement proceedings. He claimed that legal disputes are ongoing regarding the restitution of property that was expropriated from private individuals in the 1970s without compensation.

“It is important to note that out of the 30,000 square meters of property, 20,000 square meters are contested because compensation was never paid. Therefore, we are requesting the termination of the proceedings,” he said, adding that the Prosecutor's Office is currently reviewing the cases.

The creditor will provide a formal response to the Attorney General's Office's proposal within the court-appointed timeframe, which the creditor has deemed unfounded. A request to postpone the hearing has also been made.

Each party will have eight days to respond to all the arguments presented.

Today's hearing failed due to the lack of buyers, and it remains uncertain whether the sale will proceed until a decision is made regarding the legal objections.

This hearing was scheduled following the lawsuit by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) concerning a debt that, with interest, amounts to over 16 million marks (€ 8.18 million).

According to a court expert, the estimated value of BHRT's assets, specifically the land and buildings, is around 160 million marks ( €81.8 million). Despite the fact that this involves the sale of state property, there has been no reaction from relevant authorities.

The BHRT Management Board has previously stated that the sale of these assets not only endangers state property but also threatens the very existence of BHRT as a public broadcasting service, which, by law, serves the entire country.