Bosnia and Herzegovina: Journalist Nataša Miljanović-Zubac’s Car Destroyed In A Fire And Investigated Suspicion Of Arson Attack
Location: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Trebinje
Date: June 30, 2022
Journalist Nataša Miljanović-Zubac’s car was destroyed in a park while parked at her home in the town of Trebinje. The security officials have started an investigation into the alleged arson attack against the journalist. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) is appalled by the attack on Nataša. We demand Bosnian authorities conduct a swift investigation to find the perpetrators and ensure journalists’ safety.
On June 15, early hours around 3.45 AM, Republic of Srpska Radio Television’s (RTRS) reporter Nataša’s car was destroyed in a fire while parked at her home. According to safejournalists.net, a website that monitors violence cases against journalists, a car fire was reported to local police in Trebinje. The Prosecutor’s Office of Trebinje started investigating the case on suspicion of arson.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that the alleged arson may be motivated by intimidation against the journalist, according to her views. The journalist told CPJ that she reported frequent coverage of corruption, organized crime, smuggling, and drug trafficking in the country, and included that she recently received insults from online commenters and local politicians.
The journalist also added that her car was her only tangible asset which she also heavily used for her reporting purposes. She also said that she is not financially able to replace her car and her mobility was severely affected because of the alleged arson. She also said she did not know who was behind the attack as she was not working on a major case.
This is not the first violence that the journalist was subjected to. She was targeted on live broadcast during the founder and president of the far-right Serbian Radical Party, as well as a convicted war criminal, Vojislav Šešelj’s TV appearance on January 30, 2021. Vojislav Šešelj targeted Nataša with misogynistic remarks and allegedly revealed private details of her life on national television.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is horrified by the attack against Nataša. Authorities must find the perpetrators behind the alleged arson and ensure Nataša’s and her family’s safety.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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