INSTITUTION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
pension insurance. The complainant claims that she asked her ex-employer to correct the erroneous
date of her employment termination since she applied for early retirement before the Federal
Pension and Disability Insurance Fund - PIO/MIO Mostar – Cantonal Administrative Service
Tuzla. In its reply the Pension Insurance Fund claims that PIO/MIO Mostar – Cantonal
Administrative Service Tuzla issued a new work experience certificate and forwarded it t the
complainant thus rendering the previous erroneous date void. In this way the case was successfully
solved.
Example: 103 The complainant designated the Service for Foreigners' Affairs, Livno Field Center,
as the responsible party in this case. She alleges that she has applied to the responsible party for a
residence permit. She points out that she is a Romanian citizen, employed in Austria and married
to a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina, that she intends to regulate her residence in Livno, so that
she can exercise other rights, such as the right to health insurance and more. The complaint points
out that the employees of the Field Center in Livno make it unreasonably difficult for her to
exercise her rights, since they are asking for her medical certificate as well as a non-conviction
certificate, even though she submitted the mentioned documents after obtaining them in Austria.
The Field Center in Livno informed the Ombudsman after it conducted its procedure that the
complainant had been issued a residence registration certificate, which was valid once for up to 90
days or repeatedly for up to six months, but that the total number of days spent in Bosnia and
Herzegovina should not exceed 90. The proceedings were successfully finished.
4.8. Media and freedom of information
Freedom of information in recognized by the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina 104, the
Constitution of Republika Srpska 105 and the Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina. 106 Through their work, journalists inform the public about the actions of all actors
of public life within a society. In that way, they contribute to the opening of discussions and create
an opportunity for all actors to express their views on current phenomena and events in society.
Full realization of the social role of journalists is possible only if their status is regulated, and if
they enjoy the right to safety and dignity.
Ombudspersons are concerned because this right is not fully implemented. They remind of their
2017 Special Report on the position and cases of threats to journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Among most important recommendations from that Report, which was directed to the Ministry of
Justice of the Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Justice of the Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina and the Judicial Commission of the Brčko District of BiH to consider the possibility
of defining an attack on journalists as an on an official in the performance of official duties, as
well as to consider the possibility of defining an attack on journalists in the laws on public order
Ž-LI-05-220/19
Article 2 paragraph 3 Item g) and Item h) of the Annex 4 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia
and Herzegovina
105
Article 25 and 26 of the Constitution of Republika Srpska, 'Official Gazette of Republika Srpska', no. 21/92 –
consolidated 28/94, 8/96, 13/96, 15/96, 16/96, 21/96, 21/2002, 26/2002, 30/2002, 31/2002, 69/2002, 31/2003,
98/2003, 115/2005 and 117/2005.
106
Article 2 paragraph 1 of the Constitution of the Federation of BiH, Official Gazette of the Federation of Bosnia
and Herzegovina" no. 1/94, 13/97, 16/2002, 22/2002, 52/2002, 63/2003, 9/2004, 20/2004, 33/2004, 71/2005, 72/2005
and 88/2008.
103
104
34
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