EU condemns attack on Bosnian journalist

(SARAJEVO) - The European Union on Friday condemned an attack on a journalist who was beaten after the screening of a documentary on her late husband, an ethnic Croat who helped Muslims during the Bosnian war.

"In addition to freedom of the media, tolerance and respect between communities constitute core EU values that are highly relevant to countries with an EU membership perspective," said a statement from the EU mission to Bosnia, condemning the recent incident.

Stefica Galic, editor-in chief of the webportal tacno.net in Ljubuski, was attacked and beaten in the Croat-dominated southern town on July 18 by a group of men and women while taking an evening stroll, local media reported.

She required medical assistance but was not hospitalised.

The incident occurred two days after screening of the documentary on her late husband Nedjo Galic. Galic was posthumously honoured for civil courage during Bosnia's 1992-1995 inter-ethnic war, for helping Muslims to escape from Ljubuski and avoid incarceration Croat-led detention camps.

Galic and her children had already been threatened and insulted by Croat nationalists before and after the screening, local media said.

The European Union called on the Bosnian authorities to "thoroughly investigate this incident and bring the perpetrators to justice."

During most of Bosnia's 1992-1995 war Muslims and Croats were allies against ethnic Serbs. However, they also fought against each other for 11 months in 1993 and 1994.

Sarajevo, which is lagging behind its Balkan neighbours in its bid to join the EU, wants to apply for membership status in the 27-nation bloc this year.