Sarajevo, 18 August 2026– A Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation was signed in Sarajevo between the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the BH Journalists Association, further strengthening institutional support for the protection of the rights of journalists and media workers in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Particular emphasis has been placed on providing legal assistance to journalists and media workers as an important mechanism for protecting them in the performance of their professional duties, especially in situations where they are exposed to pressure, threats, discrimination or other forms of violations of their rights and freedoms.
HURTIĆ: Media freedom is an indicator of the state of human rights
The Memorandum was signed by Dr. Sevlid Hurtić, Minister of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Borka Rudić, Secretary General of the BH Journalists Association. Minister Hurtić stressed that protecting journalists is not only a matter of safeguarding one profession, but also of protecting democratic values and citizens’ right to receive timely and objective information.
“A journalist doing their job must not be left alone when facing threats, pressure or violations of their rights. That is why it is particularly important to me that, through this Memorandum, we place legal assistance to journalists and media workers at the centre of our cooperation. If we expect a responsible, free and professional public sphere, then we must also ensure concrete mechanisms for protecting those who inform the public every day. The Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina wants to be a partner in creating an environment in which journalists can carry out their work without fear and without feeling abandoned when their rights are threatened,” Minister Hurtić said.
He emphasized that media freedom is one of the key indicators of the state of human rights in every democratic society.
“We cannot speak about the full protection of human rights if journalists are denied security, legal protection and the ability to work freely. Our goal is not merely to sign a document, but to ensure that what we have signed today is put into practice and that journalists and media workers know where they can turn and where they can receive support whenever their rights are threatened,” Hurtić added.
RUDIĆ: The Free Media Help Line has not lost a single court case in the past eight years
Borka Rudić, Secretary General of the BH Journalists Association, stressed the particular importance of the Memorandum, noting that this is the first time in the 21-year history of the Free Media Help Line that this mechanism has received institutional support from a state institution.
“For the past 21 years, the Free Media Help Line has been providing assistance to journalists in court proceedings and other legal procedures related to the protection of the right to freedom of expression. I hope that the institutional support secured for 2026 will continue in the years ahead, given that ensuring legal assistance to journalists is one of the obligations Bosnia and Herzegovina must fulfil in the process of European integration. Legal assistance to journalists ultimately means protecting freedom of expression and responsible journalism in the public interest,” Borka Rudić said at the signing ceremony.
She added that the BH Journalists Association and the Free Media Help Line are currently involved in 22 court proceedings before domestic judicial institutions.
“We also have one application pending before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, and this support will be used specifically to cover legal representation costs. There is one more important fact: over the past eight years, the Free Media Help Line has not lost a single court case, which demonstrates that we represent journalists who adhere to the standards of professional journalism and journalistic ethics.”
The Memorandum confirms the shared commitment of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the BH Journalists Association to advancing the protection of human rights, freedom of expression and media freedom as fundamental pillars of a democratic society.
The significance of this cooperation lies in the joint effort to provide journalists and media workers with stronger legal and institutional support, thereby contributing to a safer and more enabling environment for free, professional and responsible journalism in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The signatories emphasized that today’s signing is not merely the formalization of cooperation, but a shared commitment to ensuring that the protection of journalists and media workers is concrete, accessible and institutionally supported, while continuously strengthening mechanisms for safeguarding freedom of expression and media freedom in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
