The General Assembly of the European Federation of Journalists today adopted an urgent resolution on revoking an award which the international organization World Press Photo 1993 granted to the photographer Bojan Stojanković for the photograph illustrating the execution of Husein Kršo, Bosniak civilian, during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The original photo caption falsely portrayed Husein Kršo as a Muslim sniper who allegedly shot at a Serbian refugee column. The World Press Photo organization additionally changed the signature after the evidence showed that he was a civilian, but the reward was not revoked,” the NUNS stated.
In the statements of reason for the resolution, the research text “Killing for a Photograph” by journalist Barbara Matejčić was highlighted in particular. The text provides credible evidence that the photographers were not there by accident.
The testimonies before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, including Goran Jelisić’s testimony ( the former police officer convicted of war crimes to 40 years in prison), indicate that police officers purposely organized the photographers’ presence to record the killing of Bosniak prisoners Husein Kršo and Hajrudin Muzurović, for propaganda purposes, the NUNS reported.
World Press Photo Rejected the Request
“As stated during the presentation of the resolution, this case transcends the mistake in the photograph caption or the uncertainty of war circumstances. There is a possibility that the photo that emerged as part of a propaganda operation, which at the moment misrepresented the identity and the dignity of the civilian war crime victim, is still carrying one of the most prestigious awards in the field of photojournalism.”
On April 28, 2026, the NUNS and the BH Journalist Association requested that the World Press Photo Organization revoke the award, and the organization, on June 3, 2026, rejected this request, stating that after reviewing the documentation, reconsidering, and verifying the archival records they hold, no verifiable evidence was brought forward that would justify the revocation.
“The testimonies before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia exist. A serious research text exists. Two journalism associations have initiated formal negotiations. Husein Kršo’s family is still waiting for official recognition. With the adopted resolution, the EFJ urges the World Press Photo organization to revoke the 1993 award, formally recognize the misrepresentation of the victim and damage caused by the continued retention of the award, and publish the appropriate context alongside the photograph in archives and future communications. The EFJ also showed full support for the public petition, which the journalism organisations from the region and the members of the SafeJournalists network will initiate, and calls for the international journalism community to join this request,” the journalism association stated.
Ethical Standards
The NUNS assessed that this case poses fundamental questions about ethical responsibility in photojournalism, the dignity of war crime victims, and the obligations of leading international institutions and organisations to respond when serious evidence calls into question previously awarded works.
“Ethical standards of the journalism profession require a clear border between documenting war crimes and participating in propaganda surrounding them. The family of Husein Kršo has been waiting for over thirty years. By adopting this resolution, the EFJ sends a clear message: the journalism profession cannot remain silent when the truth, responsibility, and victims’ dignity are simultaneously brought into question,” the NUNS emphasized.
