TV news broadcast on
RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
Strike ends at | World News | War in |
Bishop Conference ends | Davidovic on EU enlargement | No info on BIH citizens in |
Bakic on RS media | Mahatir visits BiH | Re-exhumation in Potocari |
Mass held in | Info campaign on elections | Regional News |
NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
Algerian group friends in protests | Re-exhumation in Potocari | Woman killed by lightening strike |
Malaysian delegation in BIH | ICTY on Gvero and Miletic | Re-exhumation in Potocari |
Appeals to Blaskic’s verdict | Israeli attacks resumed | Candidates removed from lists |
Jovic on Delic allegations | Malaysian investments in BIH | Customs officers file lawsuit |
Oslobodjenje | Bones exhumed from ground for third time! (on re-exhumations in Srebrenica) |
Dnevni Avaz | We will single out politicians who work against workers (interview with Unions leaders Biber) |
Dnevni List | I am Wahhaby, bit I am not terrorist (interview with Elviz Alicic who was suspected of planning terrorist attack) |
Vecernji List | Commission on Medjugorje to be formed (BiH Bishops on alleged apparitions of Virgin Mary in Medjugorje) |
Nezavisne Novine | Prisons in BiH overcrowded, convicts at large (feature story on overcrowded BiH prisons) |
War Crimes | |
ICTY Prosecution says documents says documents that helped reduce sentence to Blaskic were forged, Croatian Govt denies allegations
| Pink – For the first time in its history, ICTY published an appeal filed by ICTY Prosecution. Namely, Prosecution filed an appeal against the verdict in Tihomir Blaskic case, since the Tribunal reduced sentence to Blaskic from 45 to 9 years. The Prosecution claims that the documents, which enabled the sentence reduction, have been forged, demanding revision of the trial. According to Croatian media, new evidence showed up, proving that Blaskic himself had ordered the attacks against Ahmici and other Bosniak villages near Vitez. FTV – Former Croatian Deputy Prime Minister, who was at the time coordinating activities with the ICTY, Goran Granic, has been accused of falsifying the documents (also reported by Vecernji List, pg 9, mentioned on front ‘Government: We did not send forgery’, by Silvna Perica – carries (current) Croatian Assistant Justice Minister and Head for cooperation with the ICTY, Jaksa Muljacic, as denying reports that former Croatian Deputy Prime Minister, Goran Granic, forged (back in year 2000) the documents in the ‘Blaskic’ case. |
ICTY Prosecution accepts request that war crimes suspects Gvero and Miletic be on pre-trial release | FTV – ICTY Prosecution accepted the request for pre-trail release for former RS Army officers Radivoje Miletic and Milan Gvero (charged with crimes against humanity committed in Srebrenica and Zepa). They have to return to ICTY on |
Re-exhumations of body remains of Srebrenica victims started on Saturday
| RTRS – By Svjetlana Markovic – Re-exhumation of partial remains of Srebrenica victims buried in Potocari Memorial Centre started on Saturday. The re-exhumed remains will be completed with bones found after the funeral and buried again. Sadik Selimovic from FBiH Commission for Missing Persons explained that many remains of one single body were found in two or three different mass graves. Therefore, the re-exhumation is necessary to complete bodies. International Commission for Missing Persons (ICMP) stated that 120 identified bodies are waiting for funeral because ICPM hopes to find the missing bones of these bodies. BHT – Families of the killed are disappointed with this action adding that this is like a torture to them. FTV – Reporter stated that the genocide is still happening to families of missing people because mass graves are hidden and mortal remains are not found. Oslobodjenje, front pg splash and pgs 4-5 ‘Bones exhumed from ground for third time!’, by Avdo Avdic – carries Selimovic as denying media reports that there have been mix-ups during previous burials (that mortal remains of different people got mixed up). Selimovic argues it is about pre-election tricks, stressing that mistakes when using the |
ICTY returns Action Plan on cooperation with ICTY to Serbian Govt, identifies shortcomings
| Pink – ICTY returned the Action Plan on cooperation with ICTY to the Serbian Government for further improvement, along with clear directives on which parts of this document need to be changed. According to media, ICTY refused the plan because it doesn’t state names of persons directly responsible for implementation of each section of the plan. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica is expected to present the Action Plan in |
PDP, NGO from Bijeljina say Presidency member Tihic’s request to penalize RTRS is abuse of Srebrenica commemoration | RTRS – Many officials and organisations condemned the request of BiH Presidency Chair Sulejman Tihic that the RTRS be penalized by RAK (Communications Regulatory Agency) because of violation of decision on mourning day marking the anniversary of Srebrenica tragedy. General Secretary of PDP Nevenka Trikfovic believes that Tihic’s request represents an abuse of the commemoration ceremony. Bijeljina-based “Society for modern politics” NGO expressed its support to RTRS and objective informing. |
Political Developments/Reforms | |
Avaz: BiH Foreign Minister Ivanic to meet senior EU officials on Monday to explain situation in BiH, focus on
| Dnevni Avaz, pg 2 ‘Big discussion about BiH’, mentioned on front ‘Ivanic will spend two hours will Solana and Rehn’, by S. Numanovic – Avaz learns from a source in the EU Council that the EU High Representative for Foreign Common and Security Policy, Javier Solana, EU Enlargement Commissioner, Ollie Rehn, and the Finnish Foreign Miniter, Erkki Tuomioja, (Finland currently chairs the EU), will hold two-hour talks with the BiH Foreign Minister, Mladen Ivanic, at Brussels on Monday. According to the source, the EU is interested in situation in BiH, especially when it comes to the progress related to the |
NATO advisor in BiH Gregorian commends defence reform, warns war crimes support network still exists in BiH
| Oslobodjenje, pg 6, mentioned on front ‘Support to war criminal still exists in BiH’, by A. Prlenda – carries an interview with the political advisor to the NATO HQ in Sarajevo, Raffi Gregorian, in which he commends the defence reform process in BiH, saying the country used the opportunity to speed up the process and be faster than countries in the region when it comes to defence reform. However, Gregorian warned that a support network to war criminals still existed in BiH, explaining: “Trials to Momcilo Mandic, Milovan Bjelica and Mirko Sarovic show they are connected to money laundry for Radovan Karadzic. Criminal charges have not been pressed against Karadzic’s wife and son although it is very clear they are involved in all of it”. |
BiH Chief
| Pink, RTRS – BiH Chief Negotiator on Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU Igor Davidovic returned from a four-day visit to |
Media reports note many candidates for October elections are removed from lists because not meeting requirements,
| RTRS – By Sanja Popovic – Belgrade-based “Euroblic” magazine reported that BiH Central Electoral Commission ( |
BHT1 feature story: Politicians will once again promise everything during re-election campaign
| BHT1 – By Zoran Sarenac – Presenter ironically stated that launching of new construction works is something that is regularly manifested during the election year in BIH, in addition the pre-election campaign in 2006 was “enriched” by the attempt to politically manipulate the media in BIH. Reporter stated that by preparing the pre-election campaign, BIH politicians have opened two battlefields. Sarenac ironically stated that politicians every day get the shovels in their hands and surprise BIH citizens with additional kilometre of a highway or with electrification of a village. Report features Nebojsa Radmanovic from SNSD who stated “we start with you because you are important to us” during the electrification of a village. Sarenac stated that in order to secure the victory in the elections, politicians need the support of media especially of PBS, which the reason for their constant attempts to put it under their control. Thus, reporter continued, RTRS is a target of |
Serbia Govt’s Coordinator for Kosovo: We will not accept any form of independence of Kosovo
| Nezavisne Novine, pgs 8-9 ‘Serbia will not accept independence of Kosovo’, by Divna Vidakovic – carries an interview with the Serbian Government’s Head of Coordination Centre for Kosovo and Metohija, Sanda Raskovic-Ivic, in which she noted, whilst speaking about the future status of Kosovo, that the UN Security Council will decide about the status, arguing that any decision cannot be taken without consulting the Serbian authorities. “We will not accept any type of independence (of Kosovo). Postponed, un-postponed, conditioned… |
Economy/Social Issues | |
Former Malaysian PM Mahatir, Malaysian business people visiting BiH: Talks on possible investments in BiH
| Pink – A Malaysian delegation lead by former Malaysian PM Mohammad Mahatir arrived to BiH. Mahatir stated that Malaysian businessmen are interested in investing in BiH, and especially in projects, which will create new jobs. He intends to boost the interest of Malaysian businessmen to invest in construction of Corridor Vc and |
Presidency Chairman Tihic with fmr Malaysian PM Mahatir: Talks on Corridor Vc
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RS Minister Brkic regrets RS companies did not use opportunity to present potential to possible Malaysian investors
| RTRS – Around 20 companies from BiH presented themselves to the businessmen from |
BiH Unions leader Biber: We will single out politicians that work against interests of workers | Dnevni Avaz, front pg splash and pg 5 ‘We will single out politicians who work against workers’, by Enes Plecic – carries an interview with the leader of BiH Trade Unions, Edhem Biber, in which he warns politicians and parliamentarians they will be facing ‘wrath of oppressed’ prior to the October elections. Biber says the Unions will single out politicians who work against interests of common workers, criticizing latest developments in BiH parliaments, when parliamentarians increased their benefits via the Law on rights and duties of elected officials, and in the same time are planning to enact some laws (such as law on minimum hourly wages) that will put in jeopardy many workers and their families. |
Judicial Issues/Security | |
Protestors in front of BIH institutions request releasing of Bi citizens from
| BHT1 – A group of people headed by Nadja Dizdarevic organised a protest in front of BIH Joint Institutions in |
RTRS: RS Supreme Court rejects appeal of Bosniaks from Kotorsko, confirms land belongs to Municipality
| RTRS – By Milica Djurdjevic – RS Supreme Court rejected the requests of Bosniaks from Kotorsko for revision of verdict passed by Doboj District Court. According to this verdict, the land given to Serbs for construction of houses is not property of Bosniaks, but property of Municipality. Reporter stated that the latest verdict represents a burden for both Bosniaks and Serbs. Featured dwellers of Kotorsko didn’t want to comment the verdict, but they talked about the difficult life conditions in this village. Legal representative of Bosniaks announced lodging of a new appeal. |
Former RS Customs officers claim employments conducted by ITA were illegal
| RTRS – By Vesna Vukovic Duric – About 200 dismissed officers of former RS Customs Offices have filed lawsuit against Indirect Taxation Administration (ITA). They claim that the process of employing new staff by ITA was illegal. Pero Simic, Head of Association of former RS Customs Officers, claims that many documents prove the irregularities of employment process. Simic also accused ITA of fraud, claiming that there are 16 cases where transports of construction material were registered as coffee transport. Head of ITA Kemal Causevic claims that there is only one such case in Brcko District, stressing that it has been reported to the Prosecutor’s Office three months ago. The ITA officers who were on duty when this case occurred have been suspended and replaced by former officers of RS Customs Office. Causevic underlined that 130 persons who were not employed in the initial process have started working in the meantime. Simic claims that the court proceeding in lawsuits against ITA are too slow, claiming that |
Alleged terrorist suspect from Blagaj near Mostar questioned and released, denies involvement in any terrorism activities | Dnevni Avaz, pg 4, mentioned on front ‘Elviz Alicic questioned and released home’, by A. Malagic – following reports that police arrested one Elviz Alicic from Blagaj near Mostar under suspicion that he was preparing terrorist attacks on religious facilities in the Mostar area (see OHR Media Round-up, July 15), Avaz reports that Alicic was questioned by police and subsequently released. Alicic denies his involvement in any such activities, stressing that he is not a member of Wahhaby movement (radical Islamists). Dnevni List, front pg splash and pg 5 ‘I am Wahhaby, bit I am not terrorist’, by |
Miscellaneous | |
Marking of 125th anniversary of Banja Luka Diocese: Bishops appeal to Croats to return to
| BHT1 – By Zorica Medjedovic – Banja Luka Diocese has marked the 125th anniversary of its establishment on Saturday. On the occasion, the focus was on the poor return of Croats to RS. Most of the citizens who live as refugees somewhere abroad stated that they would either not return because of the situation or return when they retire. Cardinal Vinko Puljic appealed to Croats to return to their homeland while Banja Luka Bishop Franjo Komarica confirmed that not many people are returning to RS. On the other hand, BIH Presidency member Ivo Miro Jovic praised the opportunity to mark the anniversary because “this shows that a normal life can be led in |