Sarajevo, 20 January 2026 – The BH Journalists Association (BHJA) expresses deep concern over the fact that representatives of the ruling parties Trojka and HDZ in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) failed to support the Declaration condemning the ban on journalist Avdo Avdić’s entry into the Republic of Croatia. This is a case that directly affects freedom of expression, freedom of movement and the safety of journalists. The outcome of the parliamentary debate represents a failure of institutions to respond in a principled manner, without political calculations, to an evident violation of international human rights standards, as well as a lack of readiness to publicly send a clear message on the protection of journalists and citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As the highest legislative and representative body, the Federal Parliament cannot afford political neutrality or “restraint” when it comes to protecting the rights of any individual in the Federation of BiH, including journalist Avdić, whose rights were brutally violated by the state of Croatia. Particularly concerning is the fact that the failure to adopt a unified response in the Parliament of the FBiH is the result of political preferences of certain parties and their representatives, rather than respect for the constitutional provisions of this entity which protect the full spectrum of human rights and freedoms, including the right to freedom of movement and freedom of expression. In this context, BH Journalists emphasize that the Parliament of the FBiH, as well as other executive and legislative bodies, have a duty to principledly and comprehensively protect the constitutional rights and freedoms of journalists within state borders, but also beyond them when those rights are violated by other states. Any different approach relativizes the responsibility of the entity and the state to protect media freedom and normalizes institutional silence in the face of an extremely worrying legal precedent set by the authorities of Croatia.
We recall that journalist and editor of the Istraga portal, Avdo Avdić, was banned from entering Croatia on 12 November 2025, without any officially explained reason. To this day, Croatian authorities and competent institutions have not responded to requests for clarification of this decision, despite being officially contacted by the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as by the regional SafeJournalists network and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ).
The ban on a Bosnian-Herzegovinian journalist’s entry into Croatia without a clear explanation represents a dangerous and unacceptable precedent in European Union member states. According to the European Convention on Human Rights and the standards of the Council of Europe, EU states have a positive obligation to protect freedom of expression, media freedom and the safety of journalists, and any restriction of these rights must be lawful, necessary, and clearly justified. As an EU member state, the Republic of Croatia has a higher level of responsibility not only to formally respect these standards, but also to apply them consistently in practice. A measure banning entry into the territory of an EU member state, adopted without a clear legal basis and transparent procedure, may have serious safety implications not only for journalist Avdić, but also for the entire journalistic community in the Western Balkans region.
BH Journalists also publicly call on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina to immediately reactivate the previously sent note to the Embassy of Croatia in BiH and to persist in requesting a clear, written, and official explanation for the ban on Avdo Avdić’s entry, and to inform the public in a timely manner about the outcome of this process. We emphasize that it is the obligation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protect the rights of all citizens of BiH in such cases, regardless of their profession.
Steering Committee of BH Journalists
