Investigative journalist Avdo Avdic barred from entering Croatia, BiH FM vows response

Croatian border police told Avdic that “his name appears in the national register of persons who are banned from entering Croatia,” and the Croatian Ministry of the Interior issued a formal decision refusing him entry, the portal said. Avdic had recently delivered a lecture in Zagreb on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s election law and on measures imposed by the Office of the High Representative, Christian Schmidt. Istraga also noted that Avdic has previously written about the activities of Croatia’s security service (SOA) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s foreign minister, Elmedin Konakovic, called the entry ban “a serious blow to media freedom” in a post on X. “Such measures are a dangerous precedent and send the wrong message to the whole region,” he wrote, adding that “journalists must be free even when they ask uncomfortable questions.” Konakovic said the ministry “will react in accordance with its competencies.”

The incident adds to tensions over media freedom and cross-border political influence in the Western Balkans. International observers and press freedom advocates typically view entry bans on journalists as troubling, because they can restrict public debate and deter critical reporting across the region.