When Republika Srpska’s National Assembly passed its controversial “foreign agent” law earlier this year, it did not just target civil society, it drew a direct line under the independence of the media, The Fix writes.

Framed as a measure of transparency, the law mirrors authoritarian models used to suppress dissent forcing media outlets that receive foreign funding to register, report, and operate under a cloud of suspicion. As journalists face surveillance, censorship, and the threat of closure, this law is widely seen as the “beginning of the end for press freedom” in Bosnia’s Serb entity.

This is not a local issue, it’s a template. The law is modelled on Russia’s notorious “foreign agent” legislation, which decimated independent journalism and crushed dissent over the past decade. Similar laws were adopted in Georgia and Turkey recently.

It forces media outlets receiving foreign funding to register, report extensively on their finances, and operate under constant scrutiny.

For the press in Republika Srpska, the consequences are immediate. At least a dozen media outlets that receive international support for investigative journalism, fact-checking, or human rights coverage could face pressure and several journalists have reported increased monitoring, threats, and administrative pressure.

The implications go far beyond the borders of Bosnia and such law raises urgent questions about Europe’s ability to uphold democratic values in its own neighborhood.

“I never thought this would happen here,” says Bosnian legal expert and activist Azra Berbic. But now, we are all foreign agents in our own country.”

Their fear is well-founded. The law, passed in late February and now under the review of the Bosnian Constitutional Court, mandates that any organization or media outlet receiving foreign support and deemed to be engaged in “political activity” must submit exhaustive financial disclosures and visibly mark all its work as the product of a foreign agent. What qualifies as “political activity” is left intentionally vague, giving authorities sweeping discretion.

Almost immediately after the law’s adoption, police raided the offices of Capital.ba, a leading investigative outlet known for its critical reporting. For its editor-in-chief, Sinisa Vukelic, the message was unmistakable. “It’s not about transparency,” Vukelic told Gerila media. “It’s about control.”

Few observers doubt the origins of the law’s inspiration. The Russian Federation’s 2012 foreign agents law, first aimed at NGOs and later expanded to media outlets and individuals, has become an international symbol of authoritarian repression. Under that regime, Russian civil society has been gutted and independent journalism has nearly disappeared.

Republika Srpska’s President Milorad Dodik, facing his own political isolation after defying Bosnia’s state institutions and receiving a one-year prison sentence, appears eager to follow the same path. “We will establish the status of foreign agents for all those who receive money from foreign governments to undermine Republika Srpska,” Dodik told the media in January.