Tag: Bosnia and Herzegovina

The jury for the award found that Haris Rovcanin’s work “exceeds the usual scope of journalistic work”.

“He has made the Database of Judicially Established Facts about the War in BiH extremely educational, viewable and alive, adjusting it to the visual sensibility of young generations,” the jury wrote in its explanation.

It added  that, “in societies burdened with nationalism, his work represents a huge and permanent contribution to combating the manipulation of the war past”.

Rovcanin said he felt honoured that the five-member jury of this year’s Srdjan Aleksic Regional Award had selected him.

“The work on the Database of Judicially Established Facts represents a huge and permanent contribution to combating the manipulation of the war past,” he said.

“Among other things, the Database was created with an idea to finally put an end to manipulations of the war and court verdicts dealing with the subject, relativization of the past and using only the parts suitable at a certain moment, while denying the others,” he added.

“The award means a lot to me because a lot of effort has been invested in it, alongside months of work and, particularly, attempts to find ways to adjust it to young people, so they too find it useful,” Rovcanin continued.

He also said the award will be an additional incentive to his future work.

The Database of Judicially Determined Facts is a project of BIRN BiH supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund, aimed at creating fact-based sources of information, which can be used for educational and informational purposes, thus contributing to combating disinformation and to improving media literacy.

BIRN BiH previously donated the content of the Database to the Memorial Fund of Sarajevo Canton public institution, for educational and scientific-investigative purposes, as well as for the establishment of a museum of suffering, also signing a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Education of Tuzla Canton, which covers use of the Database in the teaching process as material in history classes.

In October, Rovcanin and Melisa Foric-Plasto gave training to history teachers from Sarajevo on the use of the Database in classes, based on a cooperation agreement with the Institute for Development of Pre-University Education of Sarajevo Canton.

Rovcanin previously won second prize in the Fetisov International Award in 2021 in the “Outstanding Contribution to Peace” category for a series of four articles.

He was a part of BIRN BiH’s team, which in 2020 won a special European Press Prize for “effort and success in ensuring justice for war crimes victims”, for longstanding professional and continuous reporting on most sensitive topics.

Besides Rovcanin, this year’s award winners also include KRIK journalist from Belgrade Bojana Jovanovic in the category “For Courage”, and Portal Novosti in the category “For the Media”.

This year, the jury consisted of Ana Hegedis Lalic from Serbia, Slavica Lukic and Boris Pavelic from Croatia, Vladan Micunovic from Montenegro and Borislav Kontic from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The award is given for a professional and continuous reporting on marginalized and vulnerable groups in Bosnian society and for development of socially responsible journalism.

This year’s awards ceremony is organised by the Helsinki Parliament of Citizens Banja Luka, Peace Building Network, Independent Society of Journalists of Vojvodina, Media Institute of Montenegro and Association for Promotion of Medica Culture, Art and Tolerance – Lupiga – “the world seen through the common eyes”, from Croatia.

The award ceremony will take place in Banja Luka on the International Day of Human Rights, December 10, as part of the Days of Srdjan Aleksic events.

Lamija joined BIRN BiH in January 2014 as a web archive assistant and intern. She wanted to contribute to the betterment of society and to changes in the postwar country and was recently awarded by the EU. Let’s meet her!

1. Why did you decide to become a journalist?

I became a journalist probably because I wanted somehow to contribute to the betterment of society and to the changes we faced as a postwar country. I guess that’s something that motivated most of my colleagues in those early days. Love for this job, even with all the difficulties, is something that still makes me want to do my job the best I can.

2. What was the most challenging situation during your career so far?

I can’t think of a specific one, but I think it is normal that now and then, with the situation in the country, region, or even on a global level, you ask yourself, is it all in vain, is it worth it, if they come, then why are the changes so slow? The stories that we do are worth it. They matter and should be told. The people we talk about within our stories should have a way for their voices to be heard, and we can give them that space and tell their stories in the most professional way.

3. What are the three words that should describe journalism?

Truth, freedom, professionalism.

4. You recently won the EU Investigative Journalism Award for an investigation into court verdicts over the past ten years for hate crimes (but that’s not the only award you won). Can you tell us more about this and its importance?

This is my first individual award that I share with my deputy editor, Džana Brkanić. For its groundbreaking work in covering transitional justice topics, BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina was given the European Press Prize Special Award for 2020, so that is the one that I share with all my coworkers.

When it comes to the EU Investigative Journalism Award for 2023, Džana and I appreciate that the jury recognized the importance of our investigative story. Many hours of browsing through hundreds of court and prosecutorial decisions, numerous queries, and interviews with experts, but also with our fellow citizens who have still not seen justice after 20 years, stand behind this investigation. The value of the award is reflected in the additional visibility of investigative stories, which bring changes to society.

The awarded investigative story is a multimedia data research, which showed that hate crimes were mostly sanctioned with suspended sentences, with only one-quarter of those convicted being imprisoned, and investigations in some cases taking more than 20 years.

“Suspended Sentences Do not Prevent the Spread of Hate” was based on verdicts passed down before all courts in Bosnia over ten years. It also revealed that there was no unified system for registering such crimes, which has made the monitoring and investigating of those cases more difficult.

5. Do you have a story that you feel especially proud of, and what do you like most in your job?

Over the past almost ten years, there have been a lot of stories, and I take special pride in all of my stories. Most of my stories are about transitional justice, war crimes, and how the war affected and still affects people’s lives 30 years afterward. Every time I do a story and see that I have justified the trust that the people I’ve talked to gave me, I feel very proud. These are very delicate stories, and their importance for our society is enormous. After some of my stories were published, some indictments were filed for war crimes. A permanent exhibition is opened in Srebrenica Memorial Center as a part of the project I was involved in called “The lives behind the fields of death,” where we filmed testimonies of surviving witnesses of the 1995 genocide – a project BIRN BiH did with the Srebrenica Memorial Centre.

6. What is your advice to someone who wants to work as an investigative journalist in our region?

Working on investigative stories is not an easy job, but with a lot of professionalism, courage, and knowledge, it is a rewarding one. Ask for help from your coworkers and editors, stick to our professional standards and ethics, tell those important stories, and try to make a tiny shift in our society.

The training was held from September 29 to October 1, 2023. Over the three days, the participants became familiar with the operations of the Internet and its networks and learned from experts about the violations of rights in digital space and questionable policies.

Participants spoke with attorney Aleksandar Jokic about the legal framework for freedom of speech and legal reviews of digital surveillance.

Hvale vale, the Association for Progressive Communications, spoke about gender rights and sexuality in digital space, while the prosecutor of the Bosnian Federation entity’s Herzegovina-Neretva canton, Kemal Kasumovic, shared practical examples that can be used by citizens, journalists and activists.

The training focused on understanding human rights in the digital sphere, such as privacy, safety, violence against women and marginalized groups, content regulation, malign foreign influence through propaganda and manipulation, as well as other relevant topics.

The participants were presented with the Second Report on Cyber-Security Threats in BiH, covering the period of the first eight months of 2023, which showed that the country’s Cyber Security Excellence Centre recorded 15.4 million attacks in Bosnia over that timeframe.

Most of the attacks were directed against private telephone networks, which may incur high costs for private companies and slow down the work of state institutions. Institutional response to those attacks was minimal, the report said.

During a training on problems faced while doing investigations and ways for overcoming them, as well as on how to ultimately publish a multimedia story, journalists of BIRN BiH were among the speakers, sharing with the participants information on the use of open-source tools for searching social networks and methods for verifying and fact-checking of stories. The participants were also presented with ways to create multimedia content.

At the end of the training, the participants presented their ideas for stories and other content, which will be implemented with BIRN’s help, with mentor and financial support.

All the training participants were enabled to attend or follow the Internet Governance Forum, which was held in Bosnia following a several-year break.

Forum participants adopted numerous conclusions on internet governance and human rights, cyber-security and ways to counter genocide denial, glorification of war crimes and hate on the Internet. These will be presented at the Global Forum of Japan.

This was just one of the findings to emerge from the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which was held in Sarajevo recently after a five-year hiatus. During the event, numerous conclusions were reached regarding internet management and human rights, cyber security, and ways to combat genocide denial, the glorification of war crimes, and hatred on the internet. These conclusions will be presented at a global forum in Japan.

The IGF provided an international platform for discussions and collaboration on issues related to the development of information society, bringing together representatives of various governmental, non-governmental and international organizations and institutions in Sarajevo to brainstorm practical ideas for advancing cyber security in BiH.

Julian Reilly, the British ambassador to BiH, underscored the significance of the forum, which was supported by the British Embassy, emphasizing its focus on crucial societal challenges facing the country. He placed particular emphasis on the issue of cyber security, which affects not only the authorities but also businesses and the general public.

“One proof of this is the 15 million attempted cyberattacks that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last few months. The forum will identify potential solutions and opportunities to address these attacks,” stated Reilly. He also noted the special attention given to other critical topics at the IGF, including abuse, gender-based violence, historical revisionism, and genocide denial, all of which persist in the online sphere.

The resident coordinator of the United Nations in BiH, Ingrid Macdonald, expressed her organization’s satisfaction at being able to contribute to the forum and called on people around the world to unite to improve the internet.

“Our lives have been completely changed by the internet and what it represents in our lives. It’s very important that we recognize the opportunities and the risks, because despite it affecting our lives every day, cyberspace remains largely unregulated and that is problematic,” said Macdonald.

She pointed out that while the internet serves as a platform for public discussion and increased access to information, it is frequently misused to spread misinformation, discrimination, hate speech, revisionism, and various forms of violence. These narratives, she observed, are particularly pervasive in BiH, where hate speech encompasses the denial of war crimes and the Srebrenica genocide, necessitating a broader dialogue to on issues that divide people in the country and hinder reconciliation.

In a video message, Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary for Global Communications, expressed concern about the alarming trends, especially in light of the rise of artificial intelligence, which is developing more rapidly than any previous technological innovation.

“This is just one of the reasons that the UN is now addressing the information crisis as a global priority, dramatically scaling up its response,” Fleming noted, adding that her team is developing a code of conduct for information integrity on digital platforms, with the goal of creating a global “gold standard.”

Denis Džidić, director of the Balkan Research Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN BiH), emphasized the importance of events like these is important because they expose the alarming trends that BiH has been facing over the past two years, especially those pertaining to cyber threats and the digital rights of citizens.

“The idea of this approach is to involve the entire community in resolving the issue of cyber threats, and violations of digital rights online, in order to come up with better solutions and exert pressures on government institutions to effectively tackle these issues,” explained Džidić.

In the course of several panel discussions on these topics, attendees had the opportunity to hear from domestic and foreign experts in information and telecommunication systems, representatives of the judiciary, journalists, and human rights activists, as well as representatives of the academic community and advocates for the protection of freedom of thought and expression.

During the plenary session, participants held an important discussion about the lack of a systemic approach to internet governance and human rights issues in BiH, a global challenge which is shared by other countries worldwide.

Arben Murtezić, director of the Center for the Education of Judges and Prosecutors of the Federation of BiH, argued that this country is likely the least equipped in the region to combat cyber-attacks, pointing to the absence of a number of strategic and legal documents necessary for this struggle. Speaking about practical attacks, such as the one on the Parliamentary Assembly, he noted that even larger and better prepared states struggle to find solutions. Murtezić suggested that embracing knowledge and experience from the private sector could provide viable solutions to these complex challenges.

“In today’s world, if you don’t have a CERT [Computer Incident Response Team], it’s like not having a State Department. That’s such an important point,” Murtezić added.

The importance of having such a body in BiH was also emphasized by Jurica Banić from the Cyber Security Excellence Center (CSEC), who believes that the complexity of state administration effectively hinders the establishment of such a team in the country.

“We have so many levels of government where everyone wants to grab their share of the pie. I’m not sure what pie, I think we all have the same interest – the protection of all, including the nation as a whole,” he remarked.

Sabina Baraković, an expert advisor in the Information and Telecommunications Systems Sector of the BiH Ministry of Security, pointed out that that efforts to establish CERT have been ongoing for years, but that several decisions stand between BiH and the finalization of this important body. She cited the major challenge of recruiting experts, given that the civil service isn’t attractive to IT experts, who find better conditions in the private sector.

The central focus of this session was on human rights issues in the online sphere. Lejla Huremović, an activist for the human rights of the LGBTIQ+ community, highlighted the numerous hateful narratives, usually with right-wing nationalism and religious undertones, are used to spread animosity.

“They’re part of the nationalist package that has been initiated and given a green light through the political narratives in our public space, emanating from those in power,” explained Huremović.

Sead Turčalo, the dean of Political Sciences at the University of Sarajevo, spoke about the connection between these attacks, their real sources, and their impacts. He said that the content altering our emotional relationship with reality has the greatest influence on various online incidents.

He described cyber security as collateral damage of the political dynamics in BiH and stressed the need to separate this issue from the narratives of everyday politics.

The conclusions drawn from the day’s forum on online challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including those related to cyber incidents and human rights, will be presented at the global IGF in Kyoto, under the of the UN.

During the panel discussion on internet violence, participants emphasized the need to involve diverse stakeholders in prevention, protection, criminal sanctions, and policy coordination. They advocated for a firm judicial response that places the victims of violence at the center of all policies and approaches.

In the session on historical revisionism, genocide denial, and glorification of war criminals, the failure to prosecute these cases was attributed to political as well as judicial factors, including the tendency of prosecutors to yield under public pressure. The panelists expressed alarm at the normalization of these narratives, emphasizing the need for media regulation, timely convictions for the criminal offense of genocide denial, and a multi-perspective approach to educate citizens and rebuild trust in institutions.

The panel on cyber security in BiH stressed the urgency of forming a CERT and addressing the major dissonance between legislative and executive authorities.  The participants concluded that while BiH is facing intense and complex cyber-attacks, the country must contend with numerous limitations. Notably, the absence of systems for exchanging information and knowledge hinders the ability to learn from the attacks and incidents that have already occurred.

The organizing committee of the 2023 IGF Sarajevo comprises BIRN BiH, CSEC, BHNIX.ba, the Center for the Education of Judges and Prosecutors of the Federation, the Sarajevo University Faculty of Political Sciences, and Logosoft. The forum is supported by the Internet Society Foundation, the British Embassy in BiH, and the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Sarajevo.

Reports from individual panels will be available on the Forum website.

The jury consisting of media expert Lamija Aleckovic, Political Sciences Faculty professor Lejla Turcilo and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Foundation director Tanja Topic from Banja Luka awarded Grebo and Brkanic for their multimedia data research, which showed that hate crimes were mostly sanctioned with suspended sentences, with only one quarter of those convicted being imprisoned, and investigations in some cases taking more than 20 years.

Awarding the prize, Turcilo said the story threw light on the absurdity of the court system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, pointing to the need for changes in Bosnian society.

“Suspended Sentences Do not Prevent the Spread of Hate” was based on verdicts passed down before all courts in Bosnia over a ten-year period. It revealed also that there was no unified system for registering such crimes, which has made the monitoring and investigating of those cases more difficult.

The two journalists thanked members of BIRN BiH newsroom for their help, adding that they appreciated the European Union Award and the jury which recognized their work.

“Many hours of browsing through hundreds of court and prosecutorial decisions, numerous queries, interviews with experts, but also with our fellow citizens who have still not seen justice after 20 years, stand behind this investigation. At a time when hate crimes are happening nearly on a daily basis, it is even more important to point to this problem with a view to improving the prosecution, ensuring justice for victims and achieving a potential general prevention [of such crimes],” Grebo said.

Brkanic said the value of the award was reflected in the additional visibility of investigative stories, which bring changes in society, adding that she hoped this story also would have a positive impact in favour of victims.

“Returnees live in fear throughout BiH, minorities are endangered, and no one has information about the attack on LGBTIQ activists and fellow journalists in March this year. Hence, this award, alongside the support which independent newsrooms such as ours get from foreign donors, represents an incentive and obligation to continue with our work,” she said.

Brkanic and Grebo shared second place with Predrag Blagovcanin, who was awarded for his story titled “Between the HDZ and DF: How the Defence Ministry of BiH Protected a War Criminal”.

First prize was awarded to Semira Degirmendzic for a story titled “Turkish Cengiz Wins Contracts Worth a Billion KM, but Fails to Pay Compensation to Bosnian Workers”. Third prize went to Arduana Pribinja for a story titled “Abuse of Patients in Sarajevo: False Diagnoses for Expensive Medicines”.

Johann Sattler, Head of the Delegation and Special Representative of EU in Bosnia, said during the awards ceremony that Bosnian citizens had the right to be informed about irregularities in society.

“Professional journalism is essential for the health of the society, while freedom of the media and expression is one of the key priorities for the entry of BiH into the European Union,” said Sattler, adding that without achieving this priority, Bosnia could not join the EU.

In 2021, BIRN BiH deputy editor Brkanic won the third prize of the European Union Investigative Journalism Awards for a piece on the non-transparent collection of humanitarian aid for construction of wells and mosques in Africa.

The EU Investigative Journalism Award celebrates the best investigative stories written in the previous calendar year and is awarded in all six Western Balkan countries (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia) and Turkey. The organiser of the award ceremony, Thomson Media, an organisation with multi-year experience in developing and promoting media freedom, awarded a regional prize for the first time this year.

Grebo and Brkanic previously won a special European Press Prize in 2020, as members of BIRN BiH, for “efforts and success in ensuring justice for victims of war crimes”.

Jointly with their colleague Jasmin Begic, they were shortlisted for the Srdjan Aleksic Journalism Award in 2022 in the “contribution to the community” category.