Zenica/Sarajevo, 14 October 2026 – The BH Journalists Association and the Free Media Help Line (FMHL) strongly condemn the attempt to prevent the media from providing live coverage of today’s session of the Zenica City Council, at which a proposal to increase district heating prices by approximately 106 percent is being discussed. According to local media reports, after the RTV Zenica crew, which normally broadcasts City Council sessions, failed to appear at today’s session, Zenica’s acting mayor Azra Hajdarević-Petrović requested that other media representatives be removed from the session. These representatives had been broadcasting it live via social media. The media had not been informed in advance or invited to cover the emergency session of the City Council.
The Bh Journalists Association considers it unacceptable to attempt to restrict journalists’ reporting on a session of a representative body elected by citizens, particularly at a time when a matter of exceptional public interest is being decided. The citizens of Zenica have the right to follow the debate directly, hear the arguments in favour of the proposed heating price increase and learn the positions of their elected representatives. After all, the City Council is not public officials’ private space, and journalists should not have to seek political permission every time they wish to inform the public about discussions taking place in government institutions. The arbitrary actions of individuals within the Zenica City Council, dissatisfaction with media coverage, or disagreement with media editorial policies must not and cannot serve as justification for preventing journalists and media outlets from doing their jobs.
It is particularly concerning that this is not the first time that the issue of journalists’ and media crews’ access to Zenica City Council sessions has arisen. BHJA has previously raised concerns over the denial of access to certain media outlets, following which an agreement was reached in April 2025 to restore access to the sessions. However, today’s events demonstrate that the issue of equal access for journalists to the work of city institutions still requires serious attention and clear guarantees that similar situations will not be repeated.
The BH Journalists Association and the Free Media Help Line demand that the leadership of the City of Zenica and the City Council publicly clarify the legal act under which the removal of media crews was requested, who made that decision and on what grounds an attempt was made to restrict live coverage of the session. We also reiterate our demand that all media outlets be granted access to Zenica City Council sessions without discrimination and be allowed to report without obstruction, in accordance with the law and the rules governing the work of the City Council.
No government in a democratic society may subordinate the public interest to its own desire to control information. Journalists have the right to report, and citizens have the right to know!
