Sarajevo, September 14th, 2007
AN OPEN LETTER
On Thursday, September 13th, 2007, BHT news at 7PM aired a homophobic statement by the Prime Minister of the Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik. When the newsjournalist of the BHT asked Dodik: „How can someone's sexual orientation be used as a reason?“, Dodik responded: „How can it not? I, simply, do not allow various faggots into my cabinet.“
Such public expression is a clear case of hate speech and it represents the public incitement of hatred and intolerance toward gay persons and those assumed to be gay, as well as the whole LGBTIQ population. Milorad Dodik has to be held accountable given that with his work and statements he misuses his position, and publicly shows intolerance and uses hate speech aimed at the gay population, thereby violating the BiH Constitution, public safety, and the rights and freedoms of others.
On this occasion we are reminding Milorad Dodik and the Government of the Republika Srpska that discrimination based on sex/gender and sexual orientation is against the law and is punishable in Bosnia and Herzegovina under the Law on Gender Equality in BiH (Article 2) as well as under all four existing Criminal Codes (BiH, the Federation of BiH, the Republika Srpska, and the Brčko District). Bosnia and Herzegovina is a state, which, by its Constitution and signed international covenants, guarantees the protection of and respect for human rights for all its citizens.
The Constitution of the Republika Srpska in its Article 68, among other things, notes that Republika Srpska administers and secures: constitutionality and legality (4); and, realization and protection of human rights and freedoms (5). Milorad Dodik’s statement shows that BiH laws and the Constitution of RS are not respected, given that this homophobic statement is in direct contrast with the promotion and protection of human rights and freedoms of BiH citizens.
We are asking all individuals and organizations to join us and condemn hate speech and discrimination of Milorad Dodik and to join us in taking adequate messures regarding this issue.
Sincerely yours,
Svetlana Đurković
The Organization Q
Signatories:
1. Organizacijski odbor Zagreb Pridea 2007
2. Kulturno ulična gej akcija, Zagreb
3. Marko Jurčić, queer aktivist Zagreb
4. Udruženje LOGOS
5. Dr. Nada Ler Sofronić, Centar "Žena i društvo", Sarajevo
6. Marty Drury, Heart and Hand Fund, USA
7. Peter Öholm, Stockholm, Sweden
8. Global Rights, Bosnia and Herzegovina
9. Selma Kesetović, Tuzla
10.Jon Eriksson, Stockholm, Sweden
11. Andrejs Visockis
12. Hanna Eidem
13. Damir Banović, Sarajevo
14. Carolina Hemlin, Stockholm, Sweden
15. Clara Neuschuetz, Stockholm, Sweden
16. Kim Jensen, Näsåker, Sweden
17. Natalija Bratuljević, Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Sarajevo
18. Damir Imamović, Sarajevo
19. Ida Grändås, Sweden
20. Piotr D. Drukier, London, UK
21. Inger Moberg, Stockholm, Sweden
22. Boris Divjak, Banja Luka
23. Selma Ferhatović, Vienna, Austria
24. Jasmin Scholten, Vienna, Austria
25. Azra Husanović, Vienna, Austria
26. Simon Bank
27. Tanja Miletić Oručević, Mostar
28. Husein Oručević
29. Draško Odić
30. Milan Gavrić
31. Miroslav Radanović
32. Dijana Matijašević, Zagreb, Croatia
33. Aprilija Luzar, Kocevje, Slovenia
34. TAXI ART, Women’s taxi, Kocevje, Slovenia
35. Lamija Tanović, Sarajevo
36. Jasmina Sinanović, New York, USA
37. Pawel Kurpios, Warsaw, Poland
38. Nino Zelenika, Mostar
39. Mirza Jahić, London, UK
40. Velibor Šantić
41. Ariana Fernandez, Costa Rica
42. Svjetlana Nedimović, Sarejvo
43. Admir Švraka, London, UK
44. Urban Belina, Kocevje, Slovenia
45. Lamija Kosović, Sarajevo
46. Damir Arsenijević
47. Maja Mujanović, Dublin, Ireland
48. Lola Martín-Arroyo Lópiz, Dublin, Ireland
49. Amela Delilović, Sarajevo
50. Nermina Trbonja, Sarajevo
51. Azra Hajdarević, Detroit, Michigan, USA
52. Tamra Belenzada, Belgrade, Serbia
53. Lada Protić, Belgrade, Serbia
54. Maja Petrović, Belgrade, Serbia
55. Tatjana Kosanović, Belgrade, Serbia
56. Svetlana Broz, Sarajevo
57. Jasmina Čaušević, Sarajevo
58. Alma Selimović, Sarajevo
59. Erol Mujanović, Sarajevo
60. Jasminka Dedić, Ljubljana, Slovenia
61. Mirza Beširović, Sarajevo
62. Anes Podić, Sarajevo
63. Srđan Babić, Sarajevo
64. Darko Brkan, Sarajevo
65. Emina Trumić, Sarajevo
66. Jasmin Skuhan, Mostar
67. Tijana Popivoda, Belgrade, Serbia
68. Dražen Crnomat, Banja Luka
69. Velika Đurković, Sarajevo
70. Lejla Hadžiahmić, Sarajevo
71. Gordan Isabegović
72. Anna Knoefel Magnusson, Sweden
73. Jasmina Husanović
74. Dérens Villejuif, France
75. Meliha Sendić, Zenica
76. Kenan Habul, Sweden
77. Nataša Goronja
78. Robyn A Epstein, Washington DC, USA
79. Šejla Šehabović, Tuzla
80. Vahida Mujkić, Sarajevo
81. Ferida Duraković, Sarajevo
82. Aleksandra Petrić
83. Rada Grubačić, Belgrade, Serbia
84. Labris – organizacija za lezbejska ljudska prava, Belgrade, Serbia
85. MERITA
86. Ljiljana Matić, Zrenjanin
87. Jasna Saradžić, Sarajevo
88. Rea Maglajlić Holicek, Swansea, UK
89. Adisa Čečo, Sarajevo
90. Alexandra Klonowski, Reykjavik, Iceland
91. Irene Wotruba, Vienna, Austria
92. Cris Keulemans, Amsterdam, Netherland
93. Amila Cirkinagić, Odense, Denmark
94. Sofia Lundkvist, Stockholm, Sweden
95. Ole Lilleås, Oslo, Norway
96. Vedran Radić, Zenica
97. Alma Abdagić, Sarajevo
98. John Pindar, London, UK
99. Korana Koraksić, Zemun, Serbia
100. Argyroglo Alexis, Paris, France
101. Kristina Coric, OKC Abrašević, Mostar
102. Atif Kujundžić, pisac, Lukavac
103. Maja Baralic-Materne
104. Reginald E. Wallace, Washington, DC
105. Anisa Bašić, Sarajevo
106. Cristina Secall, Barcelona, Spain
107. Edita Selimbegović, Sarajevo
108. Salko Subašić, Bosanski Šamac
109. Michael Mason
110. Irina Novikova, Washington, DC
111. Johanna Schuster, Belgrade, Serbia
112. Slavica Stanojlović, Kruševac, Srbija
113. Agnès Moya
114. Pere Gelaberti Navarro, Catalunya
115. Anna Ayrapetyants, Rockville, USA
116. Maris Sergejenko, Stockholm, Sweden
117. Zlatan Meskić, Zenica
118. Linda Elstad, Stockholm, Sweden
119. Hasim Brkić, Konstanz, Deutschland
120. Admir Trakić, Washington, DC
121. Martin Engman, Stockholm, Sweden
122. Vladimir Veljković, Beograd
123. Edin Erkočević, Trebinje
124. Belma Bećirbašić, Sarajevo
125. Amra Mujkić, Tuzla
126. Maja Miranović, Montenegro
127. Thomas Schad, Berlin, Njemačka
128. Miodrag Dakić, Banja Luka
129. Nisveta Seho, Sarajevo
130. Diana Hadžibegović, Sarajevo
131. Adil Serhan Sahin, Istanbul, Turkey
132. Semih Togay
133. Sanem Ozturk, Istanbul, Turkey
134. Nada Golubović, Banja Luka
135. Aleksandra Radeta-Stegić, Banja Luka
136. Minja Damjanović, Banja Luka
137. Aysegul Arikan, Istanbul, Turkey
138. Tatjana Suhajček
139. Erinç Seymen, Istanbul, Turkey
140. Đurđa Knežević, Zagreb, Croatia
141. Emina Bošnjak, Zenica
142. Mima Simić, Zagreb, Croatia
143. Omer Ongun, Istanbul, Turkey
144. Sarah Riese, Berlin, Germany
145. Gabrijela Ivanov, K-zona, Zagreb
146. Alenka Spacal, Ljubljana, Slovenia
147. Christina Wassholm, Belgrade, Serbia
148. Sare Özer, Deutschland
149. Aldijana Trbonja, Mostar
150. Artunç Yavuz, Istanbul, Turkey
151. Udl Elisabeth, Vienna, Austria
152. Hanna Sällström, Stockholm, Sweden
153. Gabriele Bargehr, Österreich
154. Rosa Reitsamer, Vienna, Austria
155. Theresa Bullmann, Köln, Germany
156. Dijana Zadro, Berlin, Germany
157. Stefan Fuchs, Vienna, Austria
158. Tomke Wieser, Vienna, Austria
159. Ann Graf, Austria
160. Helga Haberler
161. Jovan Nikolaidis, Ulcinj, Montenegro
162. Slavica Nikolaidis, Ulcinj, Montenegro
163. Anda Erlanz, Vienna
164. Sirin Baykan, Turkey