Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

The Stockholm-based NGO “Civil Rights Defenders” is concerned about the recent threats and attacks against members of its partner organisation, the Helsinki Committee in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“It is crucial that the authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina condemn the attacks against the members of the Helsinki Committee and other human rights defenders. It is their responsibility to bring about an environment where human rights defenders can operate freely without fear of reprisals”, said Goran Miletic, Programme Director at Civil Rights Defenders.

In mid January, the newspaper Oslobodenje published two defamatory articles about Vera Jovanovic, President of the Helsinki Committee in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and other members of the organisation. The articles contained statements that could incite to hostile opinions against the members of the Helsinki Committee. This was not the first time. In October 2011, a group named Herzeg-Bosnia Republican Alternative directed serious threats against the former President of the Helsinki Committee, Srdjan Dizdarevic, and the current President, Vera Jovanovic, on the website http://www.poskok.info.

Civil Rights Defenders – We condemn the attacks against the Helsinki Committee.

This entry was posted on February 17, 2012 at 13:27 and is filed under human rights, Human Rights Defenders.

Tags: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Civil Rights Defenders, Goran Miletic, Helsinki Committee, Human Rights Defenders