SARAJEVO, 9 June (Hina) - Representatives of international organisations in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday condemned last week's illegal confiscation of copies of the satirical paper 'Polikita' by Sarajevo police, warning that the act
represented a serious threat to freedom of press. Duncan Bullivant, spokesman for the Office of the High Representative, stated today that the explanation by the Sarajevo County Interior Ministry that the copies had been confiscated 'at the request of citizens' with the aim of protecting 'law and order', caused concern.
SARAJEVO, 9 June (Hina) - Representatives of international organisations
in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday condemned last week's illegal
confiscation of copies of the satirical paper 'Polikita' by Sarajevo
police, warning that the act represented a serious threat to freedom of
press.
Duncan Bullivant, spokesman for the Office of the High
Representative, stated today that the explanation by the Sarajevo County
Interior Ministry that the copies had been confiscated 'at the request
of citizens' with the aim of protecting 'law and order', caused concern.
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What the papers in this country are publishing is not the concern
of the police, unless the police are acting in line with a court
decision. People living in democratic societies are able to decide for
themselves what they want and what they don't want to read, Bullivant
said, adding that on behalf of the Office of the High Representative he
would send a letter to the President of the Federation of Bosnia-
Herzegovina, asking him to explain this undemocratic and unacceptable
act.
By their actions, Sarajevo police are drastically violating the
rules of the pre-election process, said David Foley, spokesman for the
Mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) in Bosnia.
U.N. spokesman Alexander Ivanko called the confiscation of the
Tuzla-based satirical paper 'ridiculous and pathetic'.
A special group of international police officers (IPTF) has been
appointed with the aim of carefully watching and investigating all
complaints concerning the behaviour of Sarajevo police towards arrested
persons. The IPTF will demand the dismissal of those police officers for
whom it is proved to have maltreated and intimidated arrested persons.
The latest case was reported on Friday by three men who arrived in
the IPTF command with severe injuries, complaining they had been beaten
up by police officers from central Sarajevo police station. The police
officers who confiscated the copies of 'Polikita' were from the same
police station.
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