Republika Srpska police halt journalists displaying Fiorentina flag

Police officers of the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska stopped three Dnevni avaz journalists – Amila Ovčina, Nermin Demirović and Evelin Trako – after they drove a car bearing the official flag of the Italian football club Fiorentina. The officers said the flag’s lily emblem violated public order, telling the reporters, “You may not display any symbols or flags. A flag with lilies cannot be shown. It disturbs public peace and order.”

The journalists explained that the flag represented the football club, not any Bosnian or military symbol, but the police photographed the flag, consulted colleagues on site, and ordered the journalists to remove it. The reporters were subsequently detained in the vehicle, had their documents checked, and were forced to leave the flag on the car.

The incident revives recent controversies in Republika Srpska over the display of symbols such as the Bosnian flag, which in previous months led to fines and detentions for drivers.