Quick Facts
Biography
Esad Hećimović (14 July 1963 – 30 April 2017 ) was a Bosnian investigative journalist and political analyst. At the time of his death, he was working as the Editor-in-chief at OBN TV Station in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and he was also one of the Founders and Board Members at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom. Hećimović has worked with a number of Western journalists and media outlets, including some Pulitzer Prize winners on crossborder investigations through the past 20 years. He was awarded for his contribution to investigative journalism by SEEMO and Central European Initiative in 2009 and was also awarded as The Journalist of the Year in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the year 2011. His book, "Garibi - Mujahideens in Bosnia 1992-1999", was a bestseller.
Education
Esad Hećimović attained a Bacheor's degree in philosophy and sociology at the Faculty of Philosophy, at the University of Sarajevo.
Besides this formal education, he attended the Economic Reporting Workshop in New York and Washington, D.C. in July-August 1999; a study trip abroad in Germany, Hungary and Turkey, including Ankara, Istanbul, Sanliurfa, Antalya; a lecture and public debate about reporting on war crimes "L'eccidio dei tre volontari italiani e i crimini di guerra in Bosnia. Tra memoria, ricerca della verità e giustizia" in Brescia , Italy; a State Department-sponsored conference on Bosnia in Washington, DC in 2003.; attended conference on “Islamism and European security” June 15-16, University of Aarhus, Denmark sponsored by the Danish Social Science Research Council and hosted by the Department of Political Science, University of Aarhus in 2006; a study trip program through the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to study British Muslims in London and Manchester also in 2006; attended conference on “Religious Extremism vs. International Peace Efforts: Lessons learned and preventive strategies in the Middle East and West Balkans” National Defense Academy, Institute for Peace and Conflict Management, Vienna, Austria in 2007; was a featured speaker on transnational investigative journalism, SKUP investigative journalism conference, Oslo, Norway in 2009; attended Warsaw Central Europe Initiative (CEI) Journalist's Forum in cooperation with SEEMO: Special mention in recognition of "valuable contribution to investigative journalism" in 2009; attended the conference “Building historical narativies”,The Bamiyan Project, Washington, Colonial Williamsburg in March 2011. He also attended the 22nd Workshop of the PfP Consortium Study Group “Regional Stability in South East Europe” “From Bosnia and Herzegovina to Northern Kosovo – Coping with the Remaining Impasses in the Western Balkans” Chateau Rothschild, Reichenau / Rax in May 2011 and was a speaker at the NATO PA Rose-Roth Seminar in 2015.
Career timeline
1986-1990: Correspondent for Večernje novosti, a Belgrade-based newspaper with highest circulation in the former Yugoslavia
1991-1992: Reporter for Muslimanski Glas, Sarajevo-based weekly
1992-1995: Political Analyst during wartime for Central Office and Main Board of SDA political party.
1992-1998: Political Analyst for Ljiljan, a weekly newspaper. Reported from Tehran, Iran on change of government in Iran and OIC summit.
1998 - 2010: Investigative journalist for BH Dani magazine
2011: Deputy editor in chief at Oslobođenje
2012: Deputy editor in chief at Dani
2013: Editor of informative programme at OBN TV Sarajevo
2015: Founding Member at European Center for Press and Media Freedom
Awards and Distinctions
| Year | Award | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | ProMedia Anti-Corruption Fellowship | IREX |
| 2011 | Best Journalist of the Year 2011 (Nikola Guzijan Award) | Nezavisne novine |
| 2012 | European of the Year 2012 | European movement in BiH |