Two reporters physically assaulted at war veterans' protest

Faktor.ba

Two news reporters were physically assaulted at the protest of veterans, who blocked the main crossroads in Sarajevo on Thursday.

According to the Klix.ba news portal, some ten veterans surrounded their reporter and attacked him for no reason, causing him injuries.

“After the colleagues from Al Jazeera (Balkans) intervened, they were attacked too. The photojournalist was taken to a safe location and then sent to a health care centre for a treatment,” carried Klix.ba.

The veterans from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) entity blocked the city centre on Thursday ahead of the session of the FBiH Parliament, which was supposed to discuss the Law on Veterans’ Rights. The veterans demand the publishing of a single registry of veterans, a disability allowance and the abolition of the financing of veterans’ associations.

Al Jazeera Balkans confirmed that the person who attacked the reporter was a female war veteran and that she used a metal bar.

According to Al Jazeera’s reporter Nadina Malicbegovic, the situation went out of control and among the demonstrators were drunk persons. “There are a few suspicious persons, nobody knows who they are,” she added.

The assaulted Al Jazeera’s reporter was also transported to a health care centre for a medical treatment.

The Interior Ministry of the Sarajevo Canton told N1 they had no information about the incident being reported to the police.