BiH Security Minister Ahmetovic: BiH is being requested to do more than other countries

ZE-DO Cantonal Assembly to discuss the case of police officer who allegedly physically attacked a journalist from Zenica 

Anti-fascist activists physically attacked by hooligans in Mostar

Shooting incident in disco club “Privilege Club” in Tuzla

Croat returnee beaten up in Konjic

RS PM Dodik on Law on Referendum in RS  

EU HR Ashton to visit BiH

BiH CEC: The results of the forthcoming October elections might be held invalid in case BiH Constitution is not being changed

Rizvo: Politics might postpone abolishment of visas

 

 

NTV Hayat, Dnevni avaz pg. 4, Dnevni list pg. 8, Vecernji list pg. 6, Glas Srpske pg. 5– BiH Minister of Security Sadik Ahmetovic is of the opinion that the International Community (IC) requests more from BiH than from other countries when it comes to liberalisation of the visa regime. Ahmetovic stated that not the same things are being requested from BiH and other countries that have already achieved the visa-free regime.

“We have done a lot in the field of security, and one must appreciate the positive things achieved – although there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. For example, number of illegal crossings of BiH border has been decreased, and I expect us to achieve even better results after the establishment of BiH Agency for Coordination of Police Agencies,” said Ahmetovic.

 

Oslobodjenje pg. 8 – The case of the journalist from Kakanj, Osman Drina, who was allegedly apprehended and beaten up by members of Police Station Crkvice, Police Administration Zenica, could become an epilogue during the session of Zenica-Doboj (ZE-DO) Canton Assembly scheduled for tomorrow.

Namely, ZE-DO Canton Assembly representative, Haris Sejdic, who sent an inquiry requesting this issue to be put on the agenda, explained that “this is only one out of several omissions and affairs in the work of ZE-DO Canton Ministry of Interior.”

“ZE-DO Assembly is obliged to react duly and adequately, since it is obvious that the earlier assembly’s conclusions regarding the work of Cantonal MoI and the Police Administration had no effects,” the official explanation said.

Decision regarding this issue will be made two hours prior to the session.

BHT, FTV, BN, Dnevni avaz front page and pg. 3, Nezavisne novine pg. 2, Oslobodjenje front page and pg. 4, Vecernji list pg. 18, Glas Srpske pg. 17 – Group of hooligans armed with stones, empty bottles and Molotov cocktails tried to physically attack anti-fascist activists, members of the organisation “Kreativa”, who organised a joint cleaning of anti-fascist monuments in Mostar yesterday. The activists tried to remove fascistic and insulting graffiti written on the monuments.

After they saw that the activists have been protected by the police, the group of hooligans, who came from the Western part of Mostar, threw few stones and empty bottles in their direction and fled the crime scene. Luckily, no one was injured during the incident. Mostar Police immediately started searching after the perpetrators.

According to the eye witnesses’ statements, the clothes of some of the hooligans have been marked with fascists symbols.

According to Dnevni avaz information, police already managed to apprehend and interrogate several suspects.

According to Dnevni list information, police apprehended one minor person due to suspicion that he participated in the incident. He was released after the questioning, but report against him will be filed to the competent prosecution. Daily also confirmed that the hooligans were coming from the Western part of Mostar, as well as that Mostar Police managed to prevent this incident from further escalation.  

 

FTV, Dnevni avaz pg. 15, Dnevni list pg. 15, Nezavisne novine pg. 14, Oslobodjenje pg. 13, Vecernji list pg. 19, Glas Srpske pg. 16, Press RS pg. 17 – Adnan Palic (24) from Tuzla was accidentally wounded in a shooting incident occurred in disco club “Privilege Club” in Tuzla on Friday night.

According to Tuzla Canton Police information, Palic was hit by a bullet fired during the incident between Elvis Hamzic and Emir Kodzaga only because he was sitting on the nearby table, and suffered a knee injury. He was transferred to hospital in order to receive medical treatment and his condition is not life-threatening.

Hamzic, who already has a police record, is currently still at large. The incident occurred after a dispute between Hamzic and Kodzaga. Security guards in the club tried to calm down the situation, but Hamzic immediately pulled his gun and fired one bullet.

Cantonal Prosecutor Alija Sukalic confirmed that Palic did not participate in the incident, but was a victim of a dispute between Hamzic and Kodzaga.

Investigation in this case, as well as the search after Elvis Hamzic, is still ongoing.

 

Dnevni list front page and pg. 5 – Janja Jozic (76), Croat returnee to Konjic settlement Pokojiste, claims that several masked persons destroyed the entrance door of her family house, and threatened her while asking for money. Old lady is currently still in the state of shock and was unable to make any statements about the incident, but her sister told the police that the robbers destroyed Jozic’s mobile phone in order to prevent her from calling the police, after which they covered her with the blanket, forcing her to lay down on the floor.

Jozic was also unable to say whether the incident has been nationally motivated. Other residents of the village, such as the local priest, claim that the relations between Bosniak and Croat residents have always been very peaceful. They also claim that the motive of the incident was surely mercenary, since the robbers asked for money.

RTRS, Dnevni avaz pg. 8, Dnevni list pg. 7, Oslobodjenje pg. 9 – PS Prime Minister (PM) Milorad Dodik reiterated yesterday in Banja Luka that the Law on Referendum in RS has been adopted in order for this area to be ordered in a democratic way.

“It is on us to decide when is the right time to utilize this right,” said Dodik. 

According to Nezavisne novine, Dodik said that the RS wanted to deal with referendum in a way many other countries do - to legalize the process that has to take place.

"That process has several important segments, one of them is to simply tell others that we have a mechanism and we intend to apply it when we find it necessary to defend RS", Dodik said.

RS PM noted that nothing will take place without political agreement or political acceptance or rejection.

Glas Srpske cited Dodik as saying that the RS is currently in a situation where is has to defend itself from institutions which have been transferred to the State level, mentioning Intelligence – Security Agency of BiH (OSA) as one of the examples of such institutions.

Press RS cited Dodik as saying how he is convinced that the referendum in RS will be held someday, regardless of the blockade announced by the Office of the High Representative (OHR), adding that the decision regarding the referendum question will be made by RS institutions.

“Everything will be conducted completely legally and in accordance with our competences. No one should doubt our intentions to hold a referendum,” said Dodik.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

 

Dnevni list pg. 5, Oslobodjenje pg. 4 – EU High Representative, Catherine Ashton, is supposed to visit Bih H oH on 18 February, carrying a clear message on how she sees future relations between BiH and EU.

Several days ago, Ashton mentioned that she is very worried about the crisis in BiH, in which “Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks are arguing over BiH Constitution, while RS leader Milorad Dodik is constantly threatening with secession.”

Daily claims that Ashton is about to launch another diplomatic offensive regarding the changes of BiH Constitution.

In his statement for Press RS, Dodik stated that “Ashton is being misled by false information that RS authorities are allegedly threatening with secession.” 

Dodik assumes that the reason for his is the fact that Ashton accused him of secessionism and undermining of the constitutional structure of BiH in her statement for Vienna daily “Kurier”.

“Luckily, Mrs. Ashton is visiting BiH these days, which gives me the opportunity of telling her in person that such stories are untrue, as well as that the RS authorities do not talk about secession, but the protection of Dayton Peace Agreement,” said Dodik.

 

 

BN, Nezavisne novine front page and pg. 2 and 3, Oslobodjenje pg. 3, Vecernji list pg. 6, Glas Srpske pg. 2 – Members of BiH Central Election Commission (BiH CEC) claim that the institutions of the International Community (IC) might decide not to validate the results of the elections in BiH in case they are being held in accordance with the current BiH Constitution, due to the fact that some of the regulations from the BiH Constitution have been assessed as discriminatory by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Member of BiH CEC, Suad Arnautovic, said that he will not support the announcement of the elections in case BiH Constitution and the BiH Election Law are not being amended.

In December 2009, European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg decided that BiH Constitution discriminates Jews and Roma because it does not allow them to run for parliament or president.

BiH Parliament’s House of Representatives assigned BiH Council of Ministers to adopt the action plan for the implementation of the decision until the end of this month. Day after that, BiH Government assigned BiH Ministry of Justice and BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs and Human Rights to prepare the action plan foreseeing changes of BiH Constitution and BiH Election Law by May 2010.

President of the RS National Assembly, Igor Radojicic, however, said that he does not expect any initiative regarding the changes of BiH Constitution to be conducted in 2010.

 

Nezavisne novine front page and pg. 12 – Head of BiH Working Group for the liberalisation of the visa regime, Samir Rizvo, stated that it is possible that the decision regarding the abolishment of visa regime for the citizens of BiH might be postponed if this question is being transferred from a “technical into a political field.”

Still, Rizvo is of the opinion that the European Commission (EC) will propose the visa-free regime for BiH in July 2010 since all conditions have been met.

“EC Expert Team in charge of security and public peace and order will pay its visit to BiH on 15 February. The experts will collect information about implementation of conditions from the fields concerning fight against organised crime and corruption, cooperation between LEA in BiH and international cooperation in fight against organised crime and corruption,” stated Rizvo, adding that the only condition which hasn’t been fulfilled completely is the one regarding the appointment of the Director of BiH Directory for Police Coordination.

“The appointment procedure is currently ongoing and I am sure that the assessment regarding this condition will be positive as well,” stated Rizvo.

While answering the question whether it is possible to say that the condition concerning cooperation among police agencies in BiH has been fulfilled, considering the fact that the data exchange system between police agencies is still not functioning, Rizvo explained that the competent institutions agreed upon a model of data exchange between police agencies, as well as the issue regarding the location of the main server for data exchange.

“All legal regulations have been harmonized as well, and I expect the EC experts to recognize the efforts made,” said Rizvo, announcing that the experts will pay their visit to all competent institutions from this field, such as ministers of interior and police agencies, in order to ascertain whether all priorities set have been implemented.

 

 

Dnevni avaz – People are without hope, chaos is being expected in spring 

Oslobodjenje – Mostar: Activists physically attacked

Nezavisne novine – Airport in Tuzla closed

Press RS – RS PM Dodik: I am not threatening with secession

Glas Srpske – Our interest is a stronger and more stabile Republika Srpska

Dnevni list – Croat returnee beaten up in Konjic

Vecernji list – BiH as an anchor for political surviving (Mesic, Schilling, Petritsch and Ashdown want to engage in BiH)