The Interior Ministry of Bosnia’s Republika Srpska urged all media outlets on the Federation (FBiH) entity to “stop spreading religious and ethnic hatred, as they create tension and an inciting atmosphere."

“In accordance with its competencies, the Republika Srpska Ministry of the Interior (MoI) undertakes all necessary measures and actions to ensure that the security situation in the territory of the RS is favourable and we are the guarantor of security for all the RS citizens regardless of which ethnicity they belong to,” the MoI said.

They recalled that public gatherings and events organized by Bosniak associations were held in the territory of the RS (for Eid, Bosnia’s Independence Day as organized by the Coordination of the Bosniak Community and other Bosniak associations in local communities, as well as other gatherings of different character) and that none of them were ever banned, nor were any incidents recorded at these events, primarily because the police officers took all the necessary measures and steps.

“Police officers act in accordance with the Law on Police and Internal Affairs, the Law on Criminal Procedure and the Law on Misdemeanors of the RS for every report (regardless of the ethnicity of the victim or perpetrator),” they said.

The MoI called on the media from the FBiH to “stop spreading religious and ethnic hatred, because they create tension and an inciting atmosphere.”

“We suggest to all those interested to get involved in the work of the forum for security in local communities and to put forward constructive proposals at those meetings that will contribute to the status of all citizens, including the returnee population that they supposedly care for,” the Ministry of the Interior wrote in their statement.