Computational propaganda – the use of algorithms, automation, and big data to shape public life – is becoming a pervasive and ubiquitous part of everyday life.

Call for Constitutional Reform in Bosnia by Chris Smith (Congressional Record, MAY 12, 2009)

"Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 171, a powerful statement calling for meaningful constitutional reform and strengthened U.S. engagement in Bosnia. I want to thank Chairman Berman for authoring this legislation, and I am very proud to be one of the cosponsors (...) Mr. Speaker, efficient and rational arrangements to unite the multiethnic country and enable it to be fully incorporated into NATO and the EU can only mean a major reform that abolishes the “entity” voting system so that the vote of every Bosnian citizen will be of equal weight (...)

Mr. Speaker, as chairman or Co-Chairman for 12 years of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, known around here as the Helsinki Commission, and CoChairman of the Bosnia Caucus with my friend and colleague from Missouri, and chairman of the House Human Rights Committee for 8 years, I've had the opportunity to chair numerous Bosnia hearings and author congressional resolutions on Bosnia, including H. Res. 199 on the Srebrenica genocide (...) 

My most recent trip to Bosnia was in July of 2007, and I joined relatives of those killed, murdered--massacred--in the Srebrenica genocide in a ceremony interring hundreds of the approximately 8,000 Bosnian Muslims who were killed in what the U.N. euphemistically designated to be a “safe haven.'' It wasn't. The ceremony was solemn, it was holy, and it was numbing. Reis Ceric, the Grand Mufti, gave a very powerful talk, a sermon, to all of those who had gathered. Reis Ceric is a great man of peace and faith, and, I'm honored to say, a good friend. Dr. Haris Silajdzic, the President of Bosnia, is likewise a good friend, and spoke very eloquently about the huge loss of life, the importance of justice as well as about the future. Seeing hundreds of caskets with exhumed victims left an indelible impression on me."

Gdje je završilo 40 milijardi KM doniranih BiH? 9/8/2015 - NEON Televizija

http://www.ntv.ba/gdje-je-zavrsilo-40-milijardi-km-doniranih-bih/?fbclid=IwAR3JxwFRtRH1PrSJ5cCBTZZWf7HAOg7A3szrOvMMzs5uIl-ixbyToz7eqUQ

Gdje je završilo 40 milijardi KM doniranih BiH?

... |9. Avgusta 2015.
19:35
Kalesija Online

Niko u Bosni i Hercegovini ne zna koliko je tačno donatorskog novca stiglo u zemlju od kraja rata do danas. Precizno se ne zna ni koliko je tog novca utrošeno nenamjenski i završilo u privatnim džepovima. Neki predstavnici nevladinih organizacija tvrdili su i da je riječ o više od 20 milijardi eura.

Da su strani donatori izgubili povjerenje u domaće institucije, posredstvom kojih su godinama unazad slali pomoć, najbolje pokazuje primjer vrijeme poslije poplava. Tada su donatori iz inostranstva uplaćivali novac na privatne račune oštećenih, zaobilazeći odgovorne institucije

Podaci o tome gdje je završilo oko 40 milijardi maraka pomoći koja je u BiH stizala tokom rata i kasnije i dalje ostaju velika tajna.

Prema podacima Biroa za humanitarna pitanja, u BiH je od 1996. do 2003. godine došlo najviše donacija po glavi stanovništva. Preciznu evidenciju i cifre nema niko, pa sve ostaje na pretpostavkama. U Udruženju izbjeglih i raseljenih lica kažu da je samo za porušene objekate u BiH došlo oko 16 milijardi maraka.

Komisije BiH na parlamentarnom nivou koje istražuju ko je i kako trošio donatorska sredstva koja su stizala u BiH godinama su se smjenjivale. Koliko je poznato, nijedna nije došla do podatka o tačnoj cifri.

I da se u milijardu maraka moglo pogriješiti u utvrđivanju utroška donatorskih sredstava, podatak koji šokira zapravo je pokazatelj da, ako se u ovoliko novca može pogriješiti, koliko je zapravo para potrošeno i pronevjereno, ali i u čiji džep je otišlo.

-Nema na šta to nije išlo, tu je bilo čak i to `ja tebi donaciju – ti meni procenat`“ – tvrdi ekonomista Svetlana Cenić.

Utvrđivanje donacija je posao za istražne organe, smatraju u Transparensi internešnelu, navodeći da se na tome trebalo raditi od samog početka.

-Sada se bojim da je kasno i da nakon 20 godina bit će nemoguće utvrditi ko je bio odgovoran u tom trenutku i na kraju krajeva gdje je novac završio – kaže Ivana Korajlić iz Transparensi internešnela.

Da su strani donatori izgubili povjerenje u domaće institucije, posredstvom kojih su godinama unazad slali pomoć, najbolje pokazuje primjer vrijeme poslije poplava. Tada su donatori iz inostranstva uplaćivali novac na privatne račune oštećenih, zaobilazeći odgovorne institucije, javila je BNTV.

Portal ntv.ba 

NEON Televizija

Take back the Tech (2011.)

10. decembar 2011.

Završava kampanja Vratimo kontrolu nad tehnologijom 2011, aktivnosti se nastavljaju


Danas završava kampanja Vratimo kontrolu nad tehnologijom! (Take back the Tech!) koja se održava svake godine tokom 16 dana aktivizma protiv rodno uslovljenog nasilja (od 25. novembra do 10. decembra).


Pozivamo Vas da nam se danas pridružite, u periodu od 17h 00 do 18h 00, u prostorima Art Kina Kriterion na prezentaciji platoforme „Mapirajte nasilje! Zaustavite ga!

Svi su dobrodošli!


Fondacija jedan svijet – platforma za jugoistočnu Evropu (OneWorldSEE) učestvovala je u kampanji već četvrtu godinu zaredom, ove godine uz podršku nekoliko drugih bh. organizacija: Media centar Abrašević, Antifašistička akcija (ANTIFA), Oštra nula, Okvir, Forum žena Bratunac, Žene ženama, Infoteka, Udruženje mladih Ilovača, Akcija građana i Viktorija 99.



Kampanja je i ove godine uključila dnevne akcije, kako u fizičkim, tako i u online prostorima. Kao najznačajniju aktivnost izdvajamo i prevođenje i adaptiranje globalne mape nasilja nad ženama za naše govorno područje. Desetine izvještaja iz Bosne i Hercegovine, kao i stotine izvještaja iz cijelog svijeta, mogu se naći na slijedećoj internet adresi: www.apc.org/ushahidi/?l=bs_BA Ovi izvještaji uključuju priče o kulturološki „opravdanom” nasilju, online uznemiravanju i cyberstalkingu, nasilju u partnerskim vezama, seksualnom uznemiravanju i silovanju, o zajednicama nad kojima se vrši nasilje zbig njihovom seksualnog opredjeljenja, itd.



Kako bi osigurali kontinuitet u dokumentovanju lokalnih slučajeva nasilja nad ženama, Fondacija jedan svijet – platforma za jugoistočnu Evropu organizovala je i jednodnevni program edukacije za mlade aktivistkinje i aktivistkinje s ciljm boljeg upoznavanja sa komunikacijskim pravima i platformama za online kativizam usmjeren ka zaustavljanju nasilja nad ženama. Ovaj trening održan je uz podršku Association for Progresive Communications, Programa Volontera Ujedinjenih naroda u BiH i ureda UN Women u BiH.



Vjerujemo da je moguće stati u kraj nasilju nad ženama ako svaka djevojka, žena, muškarac i osoba pristupi IKT-u s ciljem da promjeni nejednake odnose moći, poduzme akciju i posveti se transformisanju načina na koje su svi naši prostori definisani i razvijeni, bilo online ili ne.



Više informacija o kampanji možete pročitati ovdje: http://www.oneworldsee.org/node/22761, a tu je i priručnik sa praktičnim savjetima kako sigurno koristiti IKT alatke: http://www.oneworldsee.org/js/budi-sigurna

National Legal Officer (OSCE) vacancy notice - July, 2014

ID: VNBAHN00668 Grade: NP2 (BAM 3,503.92) Type of Appointment: Core Programme: Human Dimension Department Location: Head(Office) Number Needed: 1 Start of Contract: Sep 2014 End of Contract: Vacancy Notice Issued: 18. Jun 2014 Nationality: BiH Deadline for Application: 09. Jul 2014 The incumbent is one of the three National Legal Officers, (two based at HO and one in Banja Luka) performing similar duties. The incumbent monitors and analyses domestic legislation and provides written and oral legal advice on various issues of draft and existing legislation, implementation regulatory frameworks and policy affecting human rights. Such advisory services are regularly required to be provided to field officers as well as programmatic advisors and officers at head office and in the field. National Legal Officers also provide targeted inputs for the Head of Human Dimension Department, Deputy Director, Programmatic Legal Advisors, Human Rights Officers and other senior staff, as appropriate. National Legal Officers play a crucial role in ensuring that the Department is able to follow domestic legislation, identify key legal issues and human rights concerns, and plan appropriate responses, actions and advocacy steps. Legal assessments made by the National Legal Officers are important components for formulating and executing Department strategy. For the planning and implementation of any programmatic actions within the sphere of human rights, they are key staff that influence the quality of analysis and possibilities for informed and appropriate actions taken by the Human Rights Project. TASK AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Analyses legal issues on human rights, as indicated by the supervisor or relevant advisers of the Human Rights Project, including, civil law (substantive and procedural), administrative law, laws on social protection, antidiscrimination and national human rights institutions, as well as Annex 7 related legal and policy framework and relevant court decisions; Reviews domestic legislation and advises on compliance with international human rights standards; Provides oral and written feedback and analysis on diverse human rights issues following the requests made by the Human Rights Officers and other members of the Human Rights Team in the field, including advice on individual cases; Meets with various international and domestic organizations and institutions and represents the Mission’s position. Such meetings also serve to inform other organisations of the Mission’s activities and ensure appropriate coordination with other organisations as necessary; Performs other related duties, as required. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: University Degree in Law (LLB), preferably with Bar Examination passed; Minimum of 5 years professional experience in domestic legal system, including experience in human rights work. Established ability to interpret, analyze and apply legislation to factual situations; knowledge of European and international human rights conventions; Computer literate with practical experience in Microsoft packages; Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and local languages; Ability and willingness to work as a team member and with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds and diverse political views while maintaining impartiality and objectivity with tact and diplomacy in dealing with both external persons and multinational staff; Excellent organisational skills, with ability to work under pressure, manage multiple tasks and process large amounts of information; Valid driving license and willingness to self-drive. Due to the large number of applications we receive, we regret that we will not be able to acknowledge each application and that not everyone will be called for an interview. OSCE is an equal opportunity organisation and encourages applications from suitably qualified women candidates. Executive Officer to the Deputy Head of Mission ID: VNBAHS00670 Deadline: 15.Jul 2014 Type: International Legal Adviser, Major Crimes and Legal Reform ID: VNBAHS00669 Deadline: 15.Jul 2014 Type: International The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, as an equal opportunity organization, encourages female candidates to apply. Please note that only OSCE Application Forms will be considered for open positions (However, you can attach your references to the OSCE Application Form). Any BiH citizen who is interested in working with OSCE is welcome to download the Application Form (MSWord format) and send it by mail to OSCE Personnel office: OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina Personnel Office Fra Andjela Zvizdovica 1 71 000 Sarajevo Bosnia i Herzegovina E-mail: jobs.ba@osce.org

National Legal Officer - Head Office (OSCE BaH) May, 2013

National Legal Officer - Head Office ID: VNBAHN00610 Grade: NP2 (BAM 3,338.00) Type of Appointment: Core Programme: Human Dimension Department Location: Head(Office) Number Needed: 1 Start of Contract: June 2013 End of Contract: 31. Dec 2013 Vacancy Notice Issued: 15. Apr 2013 Nationality: BiH Deadline for Application: 06. May 2013 The incumbent is one of a number of National Legal Officers (three based at HO and 4 in the field) performing similar duties. The incumbent monitors and analyses domestic legislation and provides written and oral legal advice on various issues of draft and existing legislation, implementation regulatory frameworks and policy affecting human rights and the rule of law. Such advisory services are regularly required to be provided to field officers as well as programmatic advisors and officers at head office and in the field. National Legal Officers also provide targeted inputs for the Head of Human Dimension Department, Deputy Director Programmes, Programmatic Legal Advisors, Senior Human Dimension Officers, Human Rights Officers and other senior staff, as appropriate. National Legal Officers play a crucial role in ensuring that the Department is able to follow domestic legislation, identify key legal issues and human rights concerns, and plan appropriate responses, actions and advocacy steps. Legal assessments made by the NLOs are important components for formulating and executing Department strategy. For the planning and implementation of any programmatic actions within the sphere of human rights and rule of law, they are key staff that influence the quality of analysis and possibilities for informed and appropriate actions taken by both the Rule of Law and the Human Righths TASK AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Analyzes legal issues on human rights and the rule of law, as indicated by the relevant Head of Sections or Senior Human Dimension Officers, including, criminal law/civil law (substantive and procedural), administrative law, laws on social protection, and related anti-discrimination framework; Reviews domestic legislation and advises on compliance with international human rights standards; Supervises and coordinates work of rule of law monitors on the monitoring of the justice sector (including war crimes trials) and other aspects of the legal system as well as analyzing human rights issues that arise therein; OR, analyses and advises on national legislation relating to instances of discrimination, social protection, the social welfare network, access to remedies, and other related issues from the standpoint of compliance with international human rights standards. In this last case, the incumbent might also assume other administrative duties, such as giving inputs for project proposals, preparing budget requests or providing feedback forms; Contributes to analysis of human rights or rule of law issues in Head Office and field internal and external reports by conducting legal research and providing written explanations and/or by drafting internal or external reports; Meets with various international and domestic organizations and institutions and represents the Mission’s position. Such meetings also serve to inform other organisations of the Mission’s activities and ensure appropriate coordination with other organisations as necessary; Responds to queries received from Head Office or Field Offices and advises on legal remedies in individual cases or with respect to potential human rights violation of a larger group. Advises on appropriate follow up action to be taken by programmatic officers within the Department; Performs other related duties, as required. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: University Degree in Law (LLB); Minimum of 4 years professional experience in domestic legal system, including experience in human rights work. Established ability to interpret, analyze and apply legislation to factual situations; knowledge of European and international human rights conventions; Computer literate with practical experience in Microsoft packages; Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and local languages; Ability to work with people of different nationalities, religions and cultural backgrounds; Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and an ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities; Valid driving license. Due to the large number of applications we receive, we regret that we will not be able to acknowledge each application and that not everyone will be called for an interview. OSCE is an equal opportunity organisation and encourages applications from suitably qualified women candidates. The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, as an equal opportunity organization, encourages female candidates to apply. Please note that only OSCE Application Forms will be considered for open positions (However, you can attach your references to the OSCE Application Form). Any BiH citizen who is interested in working with OSCE is welcome to download the Application Form (MSWord format) and send it by mail to OSCE Personnel office: OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina Personnel Office Fra Andjela Zvizdovica 1 71 000 Sarajevo Bosnia i Herzegovina E-mail: jobs.ba@osce.org

Terms of Reference for Gender Equality Mainstreaming Backstopper for the Embassy of Switzerland in Bosnia and Herzegovina (7F-09103.01.35)

The Swiss Cooperation Strategy Bosnia and Herzegovina 2013-2016, in the frames of which Switzerland is providing its development support to BiH, is organized along three main domains of intervention: 1. Local Governance and Municipal Service, 2. Health and 3. and Economy and Employment. These domains of intervention include a number of projects aiming at reaching the over-arching goal of the Strategy: to contribute to the transition of BiH towards a socially inclusive market economy and a decentralized democratic political system, with the longer-term perspective of European integration.

Gender equality, together with good governance, is a cross-cutting theme in Swiss supported programmes worldwide, including Bosnia and Herzegovina. Swiss Cooperation therefore continues to integrate gender as cross-cutting issue in the identification, planning, and implementation processes of its programmes and projects, as well as monitoring and evaluation. Gender equality is actively mainstreamed throughout all domains supported in the frame of the present Cooperation Strategy, in accordance with the national gender action plan and in close cooperation with the entity-level gender centres.

The Embassy of Switzerland in BiH is implementing the Cooperation Strategy and is doing so by engaging partner organizations and institutions in BiH, both local and international. These implementing partners that carry out the projects and programmes funded by Switzerland have to adhere to the basic principles gender equality mainstreaming and they have to make sure that gender equality as a principle is not only included in the projects and programmes but is also reflected the reporting.

Transcript - Press Conference 4 June 2002, 11.00 Hours Coalition Press Information Center Tito Barracks

https://www.nato.int/sfor/trans/2002/t020604a.htm?fbclid=IwAR3KjicH0_OyBM1mi9T-aKC2Qb8Af3Mx_xM8JEySE_OXho1pvlgusH4yud4

Transcript - Press Conference

4 June 2002, 11.00 Hours
Coalition Press Information Center
Tito Barracks

Julian Braithwaite - OHR

To those of you who do not know me, my name is Julian Braithwaite and I am the new Chief Spokesman at the Office of the High Representative. I would like to begin with a readout of an interview that Paddy Ashdown has just given to Radio BiH1, part of which will be going out at 1800 hours this evening and the rest of it will be going out on Saturday. His main message was as follows and I can basically quote you what he said.

He said that last week was the easy part. He said it was easy to go around saying what Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to do to deliver better jobs for the people of this country and a better future for their children.

He said that the hard part will be making this happen. He said that for him that means very clear prioritisation.

He said that what the people in this country need is an effective and impartial judicial system, free from political control. He said that Bosnia and Herzegovina currently had a judicial system that delivers justice for the politicians but not for the people.

He said he was determined to accelerate the process of judicial reform. Yesterday, he said he had given an interview to RTRS and to Nezavisne Novine to underline his complete support for the judicial reform legislation imposed by his predecessor.

On Thursday, he will be attending the inaugural session of the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and be giving it his full support as the Court that will hear the most high-profile cases of criminality and corruption.

In the interview he stressed one thing in particular. He said that we must have - all of us - zero tolerance for corruption. He said that there are allegations of corruption at all levels of government in this country, which in any other European country would already have led to resignations and full investigations.

He said nobody should be allowed to get away with robbing the people of this country of millions and millions of KM (Convertible Marks) of public funds. Money, he said, that should be going to education, healthcare, and pensions, is going into the private bank accounts of the powerful and politically well connected.

He then issued a challenge to the authorities of this country. He said if you want to be accepted into Europe, if you want to do the right thing for your people, you must pursue these cases without compromise and ensure that justice is done. He said that whether the cause is incompetence or corruption pure and simple, those responsible should pay the price.

Also in the interview, the new High Representative appealed to all the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina who need to register for the elections in October to do so by the deadline of 18 June. He said that this was particularly important because unless people voted and voted for change there would be no change.

On the Human Rights Chamber decision about the Palic case - you may have read that there was an article in Oslobodjenje at the weekend reporting that Mrs. Palic had written to Paddy Ashdown. The High Representative responding today to that letter and he believes that it is a disgrace that despite the 11 January 2001 decision of the Human Rights Chamber, a proper investigation has yet been carried out and those who abducted Colonel Palic have not yet been brought to justice. In his letter, he says that justice and the rule of law are the starting point, the essential requirement for a descent life for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and for progress in everything we do. He said that he would be taking this matter up with the authorities of the Republika Srpska and asking them why it is that a full investigation has not been completed and why it is that Mrs. Palic has not been told about what really happened to her husband. He says that he sees this as an important test case for the authorities of the Republika Srpska in terms of their implementation of the Human Rights Chamber decisions.

Urdur Gunnarsdottir - OSCE

I have a short media advisory. It is about a press conference we are holding here in CPIC tomorrow at 1200 hours.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Council of Europe, European Commission and UNICEF, we are holding a press conference to launch a report on the Roma situation in Tuzla Canton. The present situation of Roma in Bosnia and Herzegovina is among the worst in Europe and the report identifies a number of problems as well as suggesting future steps. Tuzla was chosen since most Roma in Bosnia and Herzegovina live in the Canton and the report is a strong indicator of the situation in the country as a whole.

Ambassador Beecroft, Head of OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sonja Moser-Starrach, Special Representative of the Secretary General of Council of Europe in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Renzo Daviddi, Chargé d'affaires of the European Commission and Helena Eversole, Head of the UNICEF Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, will make opening remarks at the press conference.

You are all invited to attend. We will have a press conference in Tuzla at the same time at 1200 hours at the OSCE Regional Centre in Tuzla where we will focus more specifically on the situation there.

Julian Braithwaite - OHR

I would just like to come in there and say that Paddy Ashdown thinks it is extremely important. He saw members of the Roma community in Bijeljina when he was there on Wednesday and he was shocked by the conditions in which they are living. Many of them are unable to get their homes back and are finding that they are just the bottom of the pile and the back of the queue on property returns.

Stefo Lehmann - UNMIBH

The UN Mission would like to clarify any misleading information regarding last week's decision by Federation Interior Minister Maslesa to remove the Federation Police Director, Dragan Lukac. As you may be aware, various stories were printed in today's newspapers. There was no misunderstandings or misinterpretations of the Federation Law on Internal Affairs, as some have claimed.

UNMIBH and the Office of the High Representative have repeatedly called on the Federation Government to adopt the necessary amendments and finally pass the Law on Internal Affairs. Among other things, the adoption of the law would create an Independent Selection and Review Board (ISRB) which would act as an independent and transparent mechanism to select Police Commissioner candidates and/or to recommend their removal.

Unfortunately, this law has not yet been adopted. As a result, this Board has not yet been established. Therefore, pending the adoption of the law, any decision on the appointment or removal of the Federation (or Republika Srpska) Police Commissioner will have to be taken in consultation with the UN and the Office of the High Representative. This is not a case of misunderstanding. I want to emphasise this is clearly a case of Minister Maslesa attempting to exert political pressure on the police forces. This will not be tolerated, not by the UN, not by the Office of the High Representative and, in fact, as you understand the entire concept behind the Police Commissioner project is to separate the police from politics and political influence.

After conducting a comprehensive review of the acts and omissions of various police officers serving with the police forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former IPTF Commissioner, Vincent Coeurderoy, decided to withdraw…(indecipherable). We announce these about ten days after the decision has actually been taken to prevent the officers being de-authorised from hearing about it through the media and not directly through the letter. So the decision was made 20 May to remove the provisional authorisation to exercise police powers from four additional officers.

I have the names here. I will not go into the details, however, if you need the details please call me and I will provide them to you. The provisional authorisation was removed - three from Tuzla and one from Foca/Srbinje - after determining that the officers engaged in various types of misconduct, including excessive use of force, neglect of duty, and giving false statements during investigations.

Removal of provisional authorisation in no way precludes the obligation of the respective Ministries of Interior from taking their own appropriate internal disciplinary action, in addition to necessary criminal investigations as required by the law.

The Commissioner's decision is effective immediately and prevents these officers, as you know, from participating in any aspect of police work anywhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina, either now or in the future and by the way this brings the total number of de-authorised officers to 161 since 1999. 37 of these have been de-authorised for their wartime background.

I would finally like to emphasise that these de-authorisations are part of an ongoing process to get rid of bad police officers and, more importantly, to increase the confidence that the citizens have in their police forces.

Julian Braithwaite - OHR

Could I just say that the Office of the High Representative obviously fully supports UNMIBH position regarding the statements made yesterday by the Federation Ministry of Interior?

Major Scott Lundy - SFOR

Lieutenant General John B. Sylvester, the Commander of SFOR, fully endorses the recent remarks of High Representative Paddy Ashdown regarding the need for all eligible voters of Bosnia and Herzegovina to register their vote.

As Mr. Ashdown pointed out, two weeks from today - 18 June - is the deadline for voter registration.

SFOR is taking up no role in this election and the current election campaign, and of course, it is not about to take sides or urge a vote for any particular party or candidate. But SFOR does think it is essential that eligible citizens exercise their right to vote.

And the first step is to register.

Questions and answers

Q Zlejko Tica / RTV FBiH - Have you finished your investigation with regard to the Republika Srpska Army?
A SFOR - Okay, you are asking about the case from several weeks ago concerning the electronic monitoring by the VRS? The investigation is continuing; at last Thursday's news conference we suggested that it would be approximately two weeks before we had a final report on what we had found. So, the investigation continues. There have been some good developments and we are following those but we will have to wait another week or so before we can announce anything.

Q Zlejko Tica / RTV FBiH - Are you familiar with the investigation in Travnik?
A UNMIBH - Yes, that was an investigation as you know conducted and co-ordinated by the Federation Minister of Interior based on information that they obtained. I would have to refer you to them. They know the information that they want to give out and if there is any additional information then you should contact them directly.
A OHR - I think that the Office of the High Representative would just like to say that we obviously welcome this action and we very much looking forward to a swift and thorough investigation.

Q Viola Gienger / Cox Newspapers - I am curious, what happens to de-authorised police officers? There are 161 of them wandering around out there, what are they doing? Does anybody know?
A UNMIBH - There are going to be many more in the coming weeks.

Q Viola Gienger / Cox Newspapers - Is the community safe?
A UNMIBH - Wel,l these are police officers, they are not necessarily criminals. Yes, the community is safe. But one of the concerns we have had in the past is that these de-authorised police officers are then re-hired or the Ministry attempts to re-hire them in a civilian capacity which would take them outside the purview of the Police Commissioner. This has been the case in various instances around the country. We have uncovered various of these incidents and we have corrected them, however, we believe that it tends to be a trend for many of these de-authorised police officers to be offered employment in a civilian capacity within that Ministry or within any other Ministry. Working in any other Ministry would be in compliance within the law, however, employment with the Ministry of Interior would not be. So, we have to ensure that they are not, in fact, offered positions in the civilian capacity with the Ministry of Interior.

THE GUCCIFER PHENOMENANON W/ COMMANDER X >> Truth Frequency Radio (Episode 271, 26/03/2017)

https://tfrlive.com/the-covert-report-with-susan-lindauer-71166/

EPISODE #271

AIRED: 03-26-2017

A fascinating show! Commander X talks about Vault 7 and the Guccifer Phenomenon that’s all the rage in the Deep State. The clarity of Commander X defies the simplistic Deep State cover story. Uh oh! For starters, it wasn’t Russians who hacked the DNC at all. It was a crew of 7 or 8 Ukrainians, Serbians and Romanians. Nor could “Anonymous Russia” be characterized as “state-sponsored,” since they’re notorious for hacking Russian government emails, then blackmailing Russian officials for $10K a pop NOT to expose their corruption. Before the November election, Putin arrested the whole crew of 6 to 8 members. Only one escaped. Not exactly the story Nancy Pelosi’s telling! No, this show explores how cyber-hacktivists contribute mightily to the defense of freedom, transparency, and rip the wings off tyrants. Good reasons to bring Edward Snowden home, and invite Julian Assange to the White House to receive the Medal of Honor for defending Democracy in the United States. X talks a lot about FISA and the government forces aggressively mobilizing to suppress the flow of ideas. Will Trump beat the Deep State?? We’d all better hope so. In the meantime, the anti-State hackers and anarchists of the Guccifer Phenomenon have some more fight in them, too!!!
http://anonymousglobal.org/commanderx/blog/?p=284 …

website: www.commanderx.cf

BiH na forumu u Washingtonu: Novinari ne smiju odustati od istine (13. novembar 2017., Oslobođenje)

https://www.oslobodjenje.ba/vijesti/bih/bih-na-forumu-u-washingtonu-novinari-ne-smiju-odustati-od-istine?fbclid=IwAR3xbepG43XhGTi9SHU4Yejv_LpanG_C1FWQGZnJoZ-VC1P1JvszBEuf8-0

Na Univerzitetu “John Hopkins” u Washingtonu danas je počeo SAISov trodnevni transatlantski ekonomski forum, na kojem su se okupili predstavnici 14 zemalja, a među njima i Bosne i Hercegovine. Tu su, dakle - osim iz naše zemlje i domaćina Sjedinjenih Američkih Država - ugledni privrednici i predstavnici Alžira, Tunisa, Libije, Egipta, Maroka, Crne Gore, Srbije, Hrvatske, Makedonije, Ujedinjenih Arapskih Emirata, Saudijske Arabije, Turske, te gosti iz institucija Europske unije.

Iz BiH su na forum doputovali predsjednik Federacije Marinko Čavara, izdavač Oslobođenja Mujo Selimović i glavna i odgovorna urednica našeg lista Vildana Selimbegović, Dejan Vanjek, savjetnik za međunarodne odnose hrvatskog člana Predsjedništva BiH, Dalibor Miloš, predsjednik Nadzornog odbora mostarskog Aluminija, Jasmin Mahmuzić, direktor Agencije za bankarstvo FBiH, Bruce Berton, ambasador Misije OSCE u BiH, Goran Miraščić iz bh. Odjela Svjetske banke, a tokom dana očekuje se i dolazak visokog predstavnika Valentina Inzka.

I ovog novembra u Washingtonu se intenzivno govori o Bosni i Hercegovini. Peti transatlantski ekonomski forum okupio je predstavnike 14 zemalja Mediteranskog bazena, među kojima i predstavnike regiona bivše Jugoslavije. Teme su vruće: kako što prije, što brže i jače napraviti ekonomski iskorak, međusobno se pomoći, uvezati, otvoriti tržišta i podići standard ljudi.

Zbog velikog interesa forum ove godine traje tri dana.

Značaj medija

Forum će, kao i obično, biti okončan podjelom posebnih priznanja za iskorake i angažmane kako u privrednom, tako i u procesima demokratizacije društva. Nagradu SAIS-a je prije dvije godine dobila glavna i odgovorna urednica našeg lista Vildana Selimbegović, a među redovitim i uvijek zapaženim panelistima je izdavač Oslobođenja Mujo Selimović.

Forum je otvorio Saša Toperić, direktor Inicijative Mediteranskog bazena u Centru za transatlantske odnose na Univerzitetu “Johns Hopkins”, naglašavajući značaj ekonomskog uvezivanja i napretka zemalja ovog područja. Ekonomija je uvjet razvoja, neophodan iskorak za bolji život ljudi na ovom prostoru, ali su podjednako važni i međusobno uvažavanje, neophodni procesi demokratizacije i zaštita ljudskih prava. Zbog toga je uloga profesionalnih medija beskrajno važna, naglasio je Toperić i prije prvog panela na kome se govorilo o biznisu u zemljama Magreba, riječ dao Amandi Bennett, direktorici Glasa Amerike.

Slobodni mediji su potrebni svijetu, istakla je Bennett, a na Balkanu - neophodni.

​

SAIS TRANSATLANSKI FORUM, WASHINGTON, PANEL MEDIJI, AMANDA BENNETT, VOA/

- Moje nedavno putovanje na Balkan bilo je vrlo poučno. Uvjerila sam se koliko je ozbiljno gušenje medija u ovoj regiji, upozorila je Bennett, ističući istovremeno da je to proces koji, nažalost, važi za cijeli svijet.

Glas Amerike je na Balkanu skoro 70 godina i dok su načini komunikacije promijenjeni - od nekada najvažnijeg radija do dominacije televizije, a danas interneta - cilj je isti: omogućiti pristup pouzdanim i vjerodostojnim informacijama, rekla je Bennett i upozorila: “Paraliza i nepovjerenje prema medijima imaju štetan utjecaj na društvo - bez pouzdanog načina da se dođe do pouzdanih informacija društvo ne može napredovati”, naglasila je.

No, na Balkanu ima dobrih novinara, kazala je ističući požrtvovanost i iznimnu hrabrost koju su novinari pokazali tokom rata devedesetih i koju pokazuju i danas, poput Senada Hadžifejzovića i Face TV-a koji je posjetila, ali i Džeilane Pećanin, dugogodišnje novinarke bosanskog servisa Glasa Amerike.

Novinari na Balkanu su hrabri, posvećeni i ne odustaju. Postoji mreža novinara koji objavljuju objektivne, iskrene i vjerodostojne informacije, a takvi novinari su privatno financirani ili preko nevladinih organizacija, rekla je Bennett.

Svoj je govor zaključila pitanjem: “Jesmo li napustili moć informacija?” I odmah zatim kazala: “Ne možemo se tako lako odreći istine. Trebali bismo biti nepokolebljivi branitelji činjenica, znanja i slobodnih medija.”

SAIS TRANSATLANSKI FORUM, WASHINGTON/

Na prvom panelu posvećenom biznisu u Magrebu učestvovali su Mahieddine Taleb, savjetnik alžirskog predsjednika, Tunižanin Adel Mohsen Chaabane, Mustafa Sanalla, predsjednik libijske nacionalne naftne kompanije, Omar Mohanna, predsjednik grupacije za građevinarstvo Egipta, Asmaa el-Mkhentar, predstavnica marokanskog ministarstva industrije i moderator Greg Lebedev, savjetnik predsjednika američke privredne komore i predsjednik borda CIPE. Zaključak je jednoglasan: posla ima, treba raditi. Posla ima i na Balkanu, nepodijeljen je stav učesnika drugog panela.

Politika i biznis

Na panelu posvećenom poslovanju na Balkanu učestvovali su Mujo Selimović, izdavač Oslobođenja i generalni direktor Grupacije MIMS, Michael Barbero, bivši general američke vojske te dobar poznavatelj prilika u našem regionu, Floreta Faber, albanska ambasadorica u SAD-u i jedan od vodećih SAIS-ovaca Michael Haltzel.

- Bosna i Hercegovina ima šta ponuditi biznisu, ali je njezin problem bio i ostao politika, upozorio je Haltzel.

Govoreći o problemima sa kojima se biznismeni suočavaju, Selimović je pobrojao komplicirani sistem, birokraciju, netransparentnost, nespremnost da se BiH uhvati ukoštac sa korupcijom i kriminalom, a potom naglasio: Uprkos svemu tome, Bosna i Hercegovina je dobro mjesto za biznis.

Pratite nas na društvenim mrežama Facebook, Instagram i Twitter, kao i putem aplikacije za Android i iOs.

TEA IVANOVIĆ

MIMS na sastanku Clintonove globalne inicijative (profitiraj.hr 15/05/2009)

MIMS grupa je jedina kompanija iz Bosne i Hercegovine koja je postala članica te internacionalne network-grupacije.

https://profitiraj.hr/mims-na-sastanku-clintonove-globalne-inicijative/

Sastanak CGI-ja vodio je njegov i bivši američki predsjednik Bill Clinton, a moderator rasprave bio je Kemal Dervis, donedavno direktor UNDP-a, sada dopredsjednik Brookings Institutea.

Peti summit na jesen u New Yorku

Nazočnim biznismenima, među kojima je bio i direktor MIMS grupacije Mujo Selimović, obratio se i Muhtar Kent, generalni direktor Coca-Cole, te Patricia Woertz, generalna direktorica Archer Daniels Midland Company, najveće kompanije na svijetu u područje agrokulture. Dogovorene su smjernice rada i priprema za peti Clintonov summit koji ce se održati krajem rujna ove godine u New Yorku.

Za vrijeme boravka u Washingtonu Selimović se susreo i sa senatorom Bobom Doleom. Dole je čestitao MIMS grupi na poslovnim uspjesima i suradnji sa SAD-om. Inače, MIMS grupa je jedina kompanija iz Bosne i Hercegovine koja je postala članica te internacionalne network-grupacije.

Osnovna je aktivnost MIMS grupe proizvodnja hrane, bezalkoholnih pića i ambalaže. Kompanija je aktivna i na tržištu kapitala, u investicijskim fondovima.

CGI je osnovan je 2005. godine radi čvršćeg povezivanja realnog sektora s političkim vodstvima i rješavanja aktualnih problema svjetskoga gospodarstva.

Ljekari su bili šokirani smrtnim povredama (20.07.2009, avaz, prenio ummet.blogger.ba)

http://ummet.blogger.ba/arhiva/?start=1019

Policija i Tužilaštvo Hercegovačko-neretvanskog kantona intenzivno tragaju za ubicom 35-godišnjeg Magdija Dizdarevića (Magdy) iz Mostara. On je u srijedu navečer, 15. jula, brutalno pretučen ispred Šarića džamije, a dva dana kasnije podlegao je u RMC "Dr. Safet Mujić".

Čime je udaren

Osoblje ove bolnice koje se te noći nalazilo na dežuri, kako "Avaz" saznaje, ostalo je šokirano stanjem u kojem se nalazio rahmetli Dizdarevića. Iako je cijela ekipa predvođena dr. Hafidom Konjhodžićem, koji je izveo operativni zahvat, učinila sve da spasi Dizdarevića, pomoći ovom mirnom i nadasve pristojnom mladiću, kako su nam kazale njegove nekadašnje kolege iz Mostarske Gimnazije, nije bilo.

Dežurna kantonalna tužiteljica Gordana Knezović kazala nam je da je do jučer, u svojstvu osumnjičenih, ali i svjedoka, saslušano više od trideset osoba.

- Policija intenzivno nastavlja sa saslušanjima, a imamo i neke materijalne dokaze. Interesantno je kako se u ovoj situaciji svi sjećaju da je nesretni mladić ležao na zemlji, ali se niko ne sjeća čime je udaran. Također, njihovi iskazi su kontradiktorni te se tako mijenja status i jednih i drugih. Jednostavno, u toku je obimna policijska istraga koja će, zasigurno, duže trajati, jer moramo cijeli predmet kompletirati - kazala je Knezović.
Tačan uzrok

Istakla je da će Tužilaštvo izuzeti i dokumentaciju iz bolnice kako bi uz nalaz obdukcije i ostale materijalne dokaze utvrdilo tačan uzrok smrti. Knezović je ponovila da su određene osobe nakon 24-satnog pritvora puštene na slobodu, jer, kako je kazala, Tužilaštvo na temelju iskaza i dosadašnje istrage nije imalo elemenata za zahtjev za određivanje mjere pritvora.

Snimak ubistva na internetu

Na videoservisu YouTube jučer se pojavio, kako to tvrdi osoba koja ga je postavila,  snimak ubistva Magdija Dizdarevića. U opisu snimka navodi se da ga je snimio jedan od svjedoka napada. Pri kraju incidenta čuje se muški glas koji konstatira da je "mrtav čovjek". Kvalitet snimka je vrlo loš.

Policiji i Tužilaštvu ranije su predati mobiteli čijim je kamerama snimljen napad, ali još nema informacija o tome radi li se o istom snimku ili ih ima više. Na portalima su se jučer oglašavali prijatelji rahmetli Magdija Dizdarevića. Niko od njih nije pozivao na osvetu zbog smrti nedužnog čovjeka, ali su tražili da policija, Tužilaštvo i Sud otkriju počinioce brutalnog ubistva i kazne ih.

avaz

Magdi Dizdarević je izgubio bitku za život - Jul 17, 2009.

http://turntoislam.com/community/threads/magdi-dizdarević-je-izgubio-bitku-za-život.58330/

Kako smo obavješteni iz izvora bliskih Magdiu Dizdareviću, ovaj mladić je na žalost izgubio bitku za svoj život. Prognoze ljekara su se obistinile i nije preživio fatalni udarac koji je zadobio u fizičkom napadu alkoholiziranih i po svemu sudeći drogiranih mladića.


Mi smo pisali o onome što je se desilo za vrijeme sukoba kao i o licemjernom ponašanju pojedinih medija, među kojima izdvajamo posebno Federalnu Televiziju.

Isto tako, nedavno smo pisali i o stravičnom ubistvu Merve Eš-Šerbini, Egipćanke koja je ubijena sa 18 uboda nožem u sred drezdenske sudnice. Povod za njeno ubistvo jeste rasistička mržnja prema islamu i muslimanima a koja je inicirana bez ikakve sumnje huškačkim medijima.

Ni u slučaju šehida Magdija Dizdarevića mediji nisu nimalo nevini. Raspirivanje mržnje na vjerskoj osnovi je prisutno i u BiH i ono je već duži period specijalitet pojedinih medija jasne lijevičarske orijentacije i neprikosnovene podrške lijevičarskim strankama.

Iako je vrhovni poglavar Islamske Zajednice, Mustafa ef. Cerić izjavio da u Bosni ne postoje nikakve "vehabije" već je riječ o tome da postoje ljudi koji bolje ili slabije praktikuju vjeru, lokalni mediji predvođeni FTV-om nikada nisu prestali sa tom huškačkom retorikom.

Zbog toga, ovi mediji snose veliku odgovornost u divljanju pijanica i razuzdanih mladića, kao što nose i smrt šehida Magdija Dizdarevića na svojoj duši.

Kada uzmemo u obzir ovu huškačku medijsku retoriku gdje su takozvane "vehabije" prestavljeni u svjetlu vještica koje treba nemilosrdno loviti, nije ni čudo kada naiđemo na internetskim forumima na komentare poput slijedećih:
___________________________________________________

- vehabije su g***a i treba ih sve pobit

- ime pokreta:UDRI VE.HABIJU
zdruzena lista:sefke,mito,sema,ramo,ljigo,nino...
cilj:koristenje opijuma na javnim mjestima i alkoholnih sredstava.
Podrska za lucane

...šljegli s brda zamotani...svaka čast momci..brz oporavak želim..sve ih pobiti treba..
___________________________________________________


Da napomenemo, Magdi Dizdarević je u cijeloj gužvi ostao po strani i pokušao je da smiri tenzije smirujući učesnike u tuči, nakon čega je dobio udarac iz mase tupim predmetom pri čemu je došlo do pucanja lobanje. Magdji je pao na tlo, a ubice su se odmah razišli i kako saznajemo, izlijev krvi u mozak je bio uzrokom njegove smrti.

Nadamo se daće počinioci biti adekvatno kažnjeni i da ovaj slučaj neće izazvati veće napetosti koje Bosni i Hercegovini nisu potrebne, posebno ne u ovim teškim ekonomskim trenutcima te izvjesnom izolacijom Bošnjaka u getou, nakon što je ostalim narodima omogućeno putovanje u zemlje EU.

Bosna.lu

French Journalists and their arrest in Pakistan 12 January, 2004

http://old.paktribune.com/speakouts/French-Journalists-and-their-arrest-in-Pakistan-38.html

Police in Pakistan arrested two French Journalists, Mr. Marc Epstein and Mr. Jean Paul who work for L'Express magazine in France. Later on court suspended arrest orders and accepted their bail petition filed by the defense attorney. They were arrested for illegally visiting a sensitive border town of Quetta near Pak-Afghan border. A local journalist Syed Khawar Mehdi aiding the two men was also arrested and is still in custody. The maximum punishment under respective charge is a 3-year rigorous imprisonment, besides fine.

They are also allegedly involved in making a video showing fake Taliban guerillas getting arms training within Pakistan�s territory. Pakistan Television (PTV) also ran a story showing clips from the making of their documentary, and how the local tribesmen were paid to wear turbans and act like Taliban.

1- If found guilty, would a severe Punishment stop such journalists in future to malign Pakistan with fake documentaries ?

2- Is western media, in general, bias towards projection of Pakistan ?

Bosnian Croat Leader Plans to Create, Protect His Own State (The Tech, Volume 113, No 28 May, 1993, p. 3)

http://tech.mit.edu/V113/N28/croat.28w.txt.html

Bosnian Croat Leader Plans to Create, Protect His Own State

By Carol J. Williams
Los Angeles Times

GRUDE, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Encouraged by the Bosnian Serbs' purported independence and Western reluctance to preserve the republic, the Bosnian Croat leader said Thursday that he has no choice but to create and protect his own separate state.
Self-styled Croat president Mate Boban has adopted a ruthless pragmatism in laying claim to most Bosnian territory not yet under Serbian rebel control and abandoning the Muslim allies he blames for losing the rest of the republic.
Although Boban denied in an interview any formal deal with the Serbs to divide Bosnia, he acknowledged that the original adversaries in the bloody Balkans conflict have lately refrained from fighting each other and have more in common in their visions of the future than with the Muslims they are both now fighting.
"Everyone now has his own government, temporarily, on the freed territory he controls," Boban said of the Bosnian Serb, Muslim and Croat leaders. "Otherwise, there would be chaos. If you are left alone, you have to take care of yourself."
Boban and virtually all of the 750,000 Bosnian Croats he claims to represent insist that the government in Sarajevo now speaks only for Bosnia's Muslims, who are the largest of the republic's three major ethnic groups but have been herded into a handful of shell-shattered urban ghettos covering far less than 10 percent of republic land.
Boban's scathing remarks toward Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic and other Muslim officials seemed to confirm a thorough collapse of the Croat-Muslim alliance formed at the start of the war, when Serbian rebels trained their guns on the other two ethnic groups in defiance of their vote for independence.
Top Serbian and Croatian officials have met periodically for the past two years in what Western diplomats believe has been a series of attempts to resolve their disputes by dividing Bosnia between them so that each would have an expanded, enriched and more easily defended new state. Boban a year ago traveled to the Austrian city of Graz for a clandestine meeting with Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, and the presidents of Serbia and Croatia are reported by their advisers to have discussed a Bosnian carve-up as long as two years ago.
A top aide to Karadzic effectively confirmed a Serb-Croat division plan when asked about it earlier this month."The Croats wanted it this way," said Slavisa Rakovic, the Bosnian Serb publicity chief in the rebel stronghold of Pale.
Rakovic described the Croats as more suitable partners in negotiations to restore peace to Bosnia because, he said, they hold the "balance of power."
Boban's chief media adviser, Slobodan Lovrenovic, likewise described the Serbs as a more credible force to contend with.
"Serb forces are there and they are going to stay there," he said of the vast Bosnian territory the rebels occupy. "You have to be realistic .... Serbs are ready to make a peace plan based on the situation on the ground." Suspicions of a Serb-Croat plot to carve up Bosnia were rekindled just last week when the Bosnian Serb commander, Gen. Ratko Mladic, and Boban's military chieftain, Gen. Milivoje Petkovic, signed a cease-fire that effectively accepted the territorial status quo.

Marc Epstein, Jean-Paul Guilloteau and Khawar Mehdi Rizvi begin second week in jail (December 23, 2003 - Updated on January 20, 2016) - Reporters without Borders

https://rsf.org/en/news/marc-epstein-jean-paul-guilloteau-and-khawar-mehdi-rizvi-begin-second-week-jail

December 23, 2003 - Updated on January 20, 2016

Marc Epstein, Jean-Paul Guilloteau and Khawar Mehdi Rizvi begin second week in jail

PAKISTAN

ASIA - PACIFIC

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ORGANISATION

RSF_en

The Pakistani television has broadcasted a report alleging that the three journalists had paid Afghan stooges to pose as Taliban under training. On the other hand, several French journalists have testified to the professional qualities of Rizvi before the Pakistani authorities.

French journalists working for L'Express, Marc Epstein and Jean-Paul Guilloteau and their Pakistani colleague, journalist/interpreter Khawar Mehdi Rizvi, have begun a second week of detention in Karachi. The Pakistani journalist is still being held in secret by the security forces. French journalists have rallied to the support of Rizvi after a fabricated report was broadcast on government television PTV. Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières) called on the Pakistani government to respect its commitments to press freedom and to release the three journalists. The international press freedom organisation has expressed its amazement at the outbursts of some Pakistani journalists and editorialists who have questioned the integrity of the three journalists. Reporters Without Borders can only urge the Pakistani press to investigate this case in an independent manner and to defend press freedom for Pakistani and foreign journalists. It now looks as if the authorities are holding Rizvi without charge to prevent him from giving his version of the events. Pakistani television on December 20 and 21 broadcast a report alleging that Rizvi had paid Afghan stooges to pose as Taliban under training. The journalist is seen in the report but is not given any chance to defend himself. According to several sources, the PTV report clumsily cuts in footage shot by the journalists with reconstructions and false testimonies. The authorities arranged a press trip to Quetta in the west of the country before 20 December to organise the defamatory campaign against the three journalists. On the other hand, several newspapers, leading journalists and journalists' organisations have called for the release of the three. The French diplomatic press association and Asia Presse, that groups French journalists who are Asia specialists, have all asked for the experienced professionals to be freed. Top journalists on the French dailies Le Monde and Libération and TV channels TF1 and France 2 have testified to the professional qualities of Rizvi before the Pakistani authorities. Reporters Without Borders insists on pointing out that Rizvi is an independent journalist who works with a number of foreign media, particularly French. He is known for having refused to have anything to do with the sensationalism of some western media. In an interview with the French magazine Médias, he said: "I turn down some proposals and money has nothing to do with it." Moreover Rizvi, one of the co-ordinators of the Journalists Resource Center, recently organised a training seminar in Islamabad for members of the Tribal Union of Journalists with the FATA Development Network. His work with Afghanistan's poor people also led him to carry out a successful project at Peshawar, the Aziza Health Center. For their part, Marc Epstein and Jean-Paul Guilloteau held a brief hunger strike to protest against their treatment. In a letter made public by their lawyer, the journalists said they had "only been doing their job" and did not understand why they were being "treated like criminals". They are being held in a special wing of Karachi central prison where their lawyer and French diplomats can visit them regularly. The lawyer for Marc Epstein and Jean-Paul Guilloteau, Nafees Siddiqi, appealed to the Sind High Court on 22 December against the decision to refuse them bail. The verdict has not yet been given. The journalists are accused of violating the 1946 Foreigners Act, that lays down a maximum sentence of three years in prison. The authorities accuse them of travelling through the Quetta region without special permission.