31Jan96: Journalists Threatened by Gunman in Mostar
Catherine Fitzpatrick (europe@ccmail.cpj.org)
Fri, 31 Jan 97 13:03:01 EST
January 31, 1997
Ivan Prskalo
Mayor, Mostar
The Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina
Your Excellency,
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express its
concern about a recent threat to a group of journalists in Mostar.
On January 18 in western Mostar, an armed man, reportedly named Dado
Glavina, threatened a group of approximately 10 journalists in the
coffee bar of Hotel Ero, the headquarters of the international envoy
to Mostar, Martin Garrod. The journalists were waiting to attend a
scheduled press conference. According to the editor of Alija Behiam, a
reporter for the daily Oslobodjenje among those threatened, no one
immediately came to the aid of the journalists, including
international police forces. Croat police, after a delay, did
intervene and provided safe passage for the journalists back to
eastern Mostar. Since the incident, the threatened reporters from
TV-IN, Mostar Radio, Mostar T.V. and Oslobodjenje and other
journalists in Mostar have boycotted events at the building.
As a nonpartisan organization dedicated to defending the rights of our
colleagues around the world, CPJ condemns the attack on the
journalists as a serious threat to the state of press freedom in
Mostar and in Bosnia-Herzegovina. CPJ calls on you to ensure the
safety and freedom of movement of journalists working in western and
eastern Mostar.
Sincerely,
William A. Orme, Jr.
Executive Director
cc
President Alija Izetbegovic
President Kresimir Zubak
President Momcilo Krajisnik
Chairman Flavio Cotti
High Rep. Carl Bildt
Hon. Herve de Charette
Amb. Robert Frowick
Hon. Chris Smith
Sec. Gen Javier Solana
Gen. George Joulwan