Protesters in Bosnia-Herzegovina's Serb-majority entity, Republika Srpska, defied a ban to gather on October 24 in the city of Banja Luka to voice their disapproval of a controversial draft law that brands nonprofit groups funded from abroad as "foreign agents."
The demonstration took place on Krajina Square in the city center despite a ban announced by Republika Srpska's Interior Ministry. The refusal to allow the protest came without explanation, raising questions among the activists, journalists, and citizens in attendance about the administration's commitment to upholding the right to peaceful assembly.
The so-called "foreign agents" law, formally known as the Special Register and Publicity of the Work of Nonprofit Organizations law, would require nonprofit organizations funded from abroad and active in Republika Srpska to register and report on their work.
Many have criticized the draft law, saying that if adopted, it would restrict the activities of nonprofit organizations.
The law would impose additional registration requirements for NGOs and would require them to submit detailed financial reports. It also would prohibit NGOs receiving foreign funding from taking part in political activities and would give the justice minister the authority to propose a ban on noncompliant organizations.
The law was proposed last year by Milorad Dodik, the pro-Russian president of the Republika Srpska and leader of the ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) party. His government says that the goal of the legislation was "to prevent the misuse of nonprofit organizations."
Dodik claimed that the law's framework "would be inspired by the American model," a reference to the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
But civil society organizations in Republika Srpska say the draft law has more in common with the Russian foreign-agents law than with FARA, which contains fewer substantive limitations on the functioning of foreign agents.
The National Assembly of the Bosnian Serb entity approved the draft on first reading on September 28 but the legislation still needs final approval and to go through additional procedural steps before taking effect.
The Russian law has proved controversial and has been used to disrupt the work of media organizations, including RFE/RL. Russia also claimed its law was in response to the FARA.
U.S. officials have argued that Russia uses its "foreign agent" law to silence dissent and discourage the free exchange of ideas and have said there is there "no equivalence" between FARA and Russia's law.
Republika Srpska's draft law has been sharply criticized by U.S. and EU officials, who have called it repressive and anti-democratic.
In addition to U.S. and European Union criticism, the proposed legislation has drawn negative assessments from various organizations, including NGOs and domestic and international entities.
Transparency International of Bosnia said it contravenes the European Convention on Human Rights and Freedoms, the constitutions of both the state and Bosnia’s entities, as well as existing laws within Republika Srpska.