Both US Embassy and the OSCE’s Media Freedom representative, Harlem Desir, condemned the physical attack on a cameraman of the investigative outlet ‘Zurnal’ while trying to record the private company of a Democratic Action Party’s (SDA) high ranking official while working on an alleged corruption story.

“Attacks against journalists are utterly unacceptable and cannot be tolerated,” the US Embassy in Bosnia wrote on Twitter. “We call on authorities to react appropriately and punish individuals or officials responsible for these attacks, including those that attacked Adi Kebo of Zurnal, today.”

Attacks against journalists are utterly unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. We call on authorities to react appropriately and punish individuals or officials responsible for these attacks, including those that attacked Adi Kebo of @zurnal_info today. https://t.co/vhJdPxS5f9

— US Embassy Sarajevo (@USEmbassySJJ) March 28, 2019

Huso Cesir, the head of the SDA municipal council of Novi Grad, Sarajevo, attacked Zurnal’s Adi Kebo as he was filming the entrance to Cesir’s company ‘Bosnaplast’ – which the investigative news outlet wrote about before, alleging that it was awarded public tenders through party nepotism.

Cesir threatened to break the camera. Kebo can be heard on the video telling the SDA official that he has the right to film as he is in a public place.

Moments after the US Embassy’s tweet, the OSCE’s Harlem Desir followed suit and said that the incident needs to be investigated and sanctioned, properly.

“I strongly condemn physical attack by a politician against Zurnal’s photojournalist Adi Kebo while doing his job today in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Violence against media is unacceptable and needs to be properly sanctioned. I call on authorities to swiftly investigate.

I strongly condemn physical attack by a politician against photojournalist @zurnal_info Adi Kebo while doing his job today in #Sarajevo #BiH. Violence against media is unacceptable and needs to be properly sanctioned. I call on authorities to swiftly investigate. #journosafe

— OSCE media freedom (@OSCE_RFoM) March 28, 2019

The Journalists Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina also condemned the attack calling upon law enforcement agencies, politicians and the public to react.

They said it is time to “stop this trend and prevent the complete collapse of freedom of speech as one of the basic conditions for democracy.”