Banja Luka Court Blocks RTRS Accounts Over BHRT Ruling

The District Commercial Court in Banja Luka issued a new order on October 23 freezing the accounts of Radio-Television of Republika Srpska (RTRS), based on a final ruling of 2.5 million KM in favor of Radio-Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) in Sarajevo. The dispute between the two public broadcasters in the neighboring entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina has gained another chapter, and RTRS says its entire operation is now at risk.

How many rulings have gone in BHRT’s favor so far?

In a statement, RTRS says this is the third enforceable ruling by Republika Srpska courts in BHRT’s favor. We reported on October 20 that RTRS had not paid salaries while its accounts were frozen over this dispute.

In order, according to RTRS:

• the first ruling was for 5.5 million KM, and it led to RTRS accounts being frozen back in July;
• the second is the September decision of the Supreme Court of Republika Srpska, which, ruling on BHRT’s appeal, overturned the judgment of the Higher Commercial Court in Banja Luka and awarded BHRT 15.5 million KM;
• the third is the 2.5 million KM ruling behind today’s order.

Added together, the three amounts come to 23.5 million KM. By RTRS’s calculation, that is its total debt to BHRT under enforceable rulings, or about 12 million euros.

Why hasn’t BHRT received the money yet?

RTRS says it set aside the money under the first ruling, but the District Commercial Court has not yet decided on its objection. As a result, RTRS says, BHRT cannot withdraw the funds. This is the claim of one side in the dispute, and the court’s response to the objection does not appear in the available reports.

What does RTRS say about the consequences of the freeze?

The Republika Srpska public broadcaster says the freeze has brought it to a complete collapse. According to the statement, workers have been pushed to the edge of survival, program production is at risk, and collection of the RTV fee is under pressure, even though RTRS says that fee is what would fund payment of the debts under the rulings.

RTRS also warns of a systemic problem. Under the current Law on the Public RTV System of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it says, the public broadcasters are linked like communicating vessels, so the consequences will spill over to all three public services. It expects the pressure to peak when RTRS starts collecting its own claims from Federation TV:

“When RTRS’s claims against Federation TV come due for collection, the problems of the public broadcasters will reach their peak.”

In its closing words, RTRS said: “We call on all levels of government and the competent authorities to urgently resolve the question of the survival of the public broadcasters and find a new legal solution.”

What is not known

There is no BHRT statement on the new freeze in the reports about the order, so the Sarajevo broadcaster’s position cannot be conveyed. It is also unknown when the District Commercial Court might rule on RTRS’s objection to the first ruling, on which, by RTRS’s account, depends whether BHRT can withdraw the money RTRS set aside.