Harun Išerić, an assistant at the Faculty of Law in Sarajevo, made an analysis of the so-called SLAPP lawsuits against journalists and the media for the needs of BH journalists, taking into account several examples of current lawsuits. SLAPP lawsuits are defined as “baseless or harassing lawsuits and other forms of court proceedings initiated by government agencies, business corporations and individuals in power against weaker parties – journalists, civil society organizations, human rights defenders and others – who express an opinion or convey information about matters of public interest, and that opinion or information is perceived as unfavorable or otherwise inconvenient to those in power.”

In the last few years, the number of such lawsuits against journalists and the media has increased significantly, which further burdens the work of the media, especially those engaged in investigative journalism. The preparation of this analysis is a small contribution of BH journalists to the initiation of various advocacy and legal actions against the practice of SLAPP procedures, as well as other forms of legal and institutional criticism of the media that raise issues of public importance.

The full text of the analysis in the local language and the summary in English can be found HERE.

This analysis was done with the support of the US Government as part of USAID’s program to support independent media in Bosnia and Herzegovina (MEA), which is carried out by Internews in partnership with FHI360 and local partners.

The creation and publication of this analysis was made possible thanks to the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The content is the sole responsibility of the BH Journalists Association and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government.

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