Eurasia Press & News
Sarajevo – An explosive device has been thrown at a local Bosnian broadcaster, Independent Television NTV Hayat, although there were no injuries and only minor damage.
The attack took place Thursday night, at the time when there was no staff but only a night guard. Local police, who protected the building through the rest of the night, said they have started an investigation into the attack, media reported on Friday.
On its website, NTV Hayat said that according the initial information the attack was carried out with two hand grenades. The network said that in this period they have not received more threats than usual.
Earlier this year, NTV Hayat clashed with the government of the bigger Bosnian entity of the Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim)-Croat Federation, after its minister of energy Vahid Heco allegedly assaulted a Hayat cameraman and two other journalists. The journalists were doing a report about the political struggle for control over lucrative companies which has been blocked by key privatisation and development projects.
Several other attacks on the media have taken place recently. The last one was registered in September when two journalists were beaten up by Muslim extremists who attacked participants of Bosnia’s first gay festival.
“A bomb attack on a media organisation is an obvious example of what kind of society we live in,” Hayat said on its website on Friday morning.
“While politicians are competing who will increase their salaries more and faster, media and citizens are exposed to daily intimidation, a worsening economic situation and declining hopes that elected officials can resolve the accumulated problems and take this country towards the European Union,” it added.
