PRESS RELEASE

IZETBEGOVIC OWES EXPLANATION TO PUBLIC
CONCERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF SECRET SERVICES

During the last few weeks, the public was informed through the independent magazines Dani and Slobodna Bosna of some annoying information in respect to the work of the secret services. The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in BH is of opinion that the BH authorities, especially its Presidency and Chairperson of the Presidency Mister Alija Izetbegovic, regardless of a degree of truthfulness of presented information, owe the public of this country to present their opinion on the affairs which produced the feeling of insecurity, fear and doubts among the citizens of this country.
From the stand point of elementary respect of the right of every citizen to be informed of matters in his own country and starting from the right of a citizen to receive at least elementary information on functioning of the services which are financed from the tax-payers income, the Helsinki Committee deems that it is a duty of the above mentioned instances and individuals to finally respond to questions put in public. This is the basic assumption of democratic system and obligations of authorities toward every citizen.
The Helsinki Committee deems that the legislative bodies of this country must be authorized to control the work of secret services, i.e. that they have to be accountable for their work to the highest representation bodies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this being one of the essential factors in functioning of democratic system.

Sarajevo, 30 September 1998
No. 32A-09/98

Srdan Dizdarevic
President

▲ To the top