In the 2022-2025 period, the competent institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina received a total of 44 requests for the protection of whistleblowers. Also, during the same period, 133 whistleblowers addressed the civilian association Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH).
“The data showed that citizens who reported corruption still have more trust in civil society organizations instead of formal institutional protection mechanisms,” said Transparency International.
The data was presented during the round table “Strengthening Whistleblower Protection Frameworks and Practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” organized by the association on the occasion of World Whistleblower Day in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was also indicated that whistleblowers’ reports are a primary means of exposing corruption, abuse of position, and other irregularities. However, unclear, uneven, and, in some cases, non-existent protection mechanisms, fear of retaliation and job loss, distrust in institutions, and a belief that reports do not result in penalties still deter citizens from reporting corruption.
Adoption of Laws Is Not Enough without Efficient Implementation
At the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight against Corruption, over four years, received six requests for the status of a protected whistleblower, but approved only one. Brčko District recorded and approved seven requests, while in Republika Srpska, four court proceedings for the protection of whistleblower reports were recorded. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, except Sarajevo Canton, still lacks a law to specifically regulate whistleblower protection, despite the fact that the draft law passed the public discussion and procedure in both Houses of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The draft law was returned to the Federal Ministry of Justice to incorporate comments and draft the bill.
Sarajevo Canton, after adopting the law in 2023, became the only jurisdiction in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a special protection mechanism. It also recorded progress in this field, from 2023 to 2025, the Office of Canton for Fighting Corruption received 27 requests and approved 21.
In the same period, Transparency International BiH, through the Center for Legal Aid in the Fight against Corruption, received 133 whistleblowers’ reports, while 35 reports arrived in 2025. This represents significant growth compared to 2024, when 21 reports were recorded. This number is higher than the total requests the competent institutions received in 2025, further confirming that citizens reporting corruption have more trust in civil society organizations than in official protection mechanisms.
During the round table, the regional report was presented. The regional report titled “Protected or Exposed? Whistleblower Protection in the Western Balkans: Progress and Challenges” showed that the sole law adoption is not enough without efficient implementation. Analyses from the Western Balkan countries indicated that some systems are still implementing the “goodwill” standard, instead of “based on the belief that information is true,” while practice shows that the formally recognized whistleblower’s status often does not prevent retaliation.
A Further Issue Is a Weak Institutional Response
An additional problem is a weak institutional response to corruption. According to Transparency International BiH’s analysis for 2025, only 1.4% of all indictments issued that year were related to corruption. Out of a total of 144 indictments for corruption offenses, only five were related to high-level corruption, namely abuse of office by top officials, through which millions in benefits are acquired to the damage of the state.
Out of 28 court decisions made in high-level corruption cases, 17 resulted in convictions, while almost 40% were acquittals or dismissals. Such indicators also affect citizens’ trust and signal to potential whistleblowers that reporting corruption often carries a greater risk for the whistleblower than for those who committed it.
Transparency International BiH warns that whistleblowers in Bosnia and Herzegovina remain exposed to pressures, retaliation, and professional consequences, while institutions fail to offer fast and efficient protection. This is the reason why many are deterred from reporting corruption or turn to the non-governmental sector instead of institutions.
On the occasion of the Day of Whistleblowers, Transparency International BiH appeals that the authorities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as soon as possible, adopt a Law on Protecting Whistleblowers and calls on institutions at all levels of government to advance the adoption of existing laws and ensure real protection for persons reporting corruption.
Without the protection of whistleblowers, there is no efficient fight for fighting corruption, said Transparency International.
