An Honest look at Irina Lovric’s Corruption Battle In Her Own Words, Then and Now.
By Anja Jerkovic
There is no ribbon to tie at the end of her story, but rather, the question of what comes next? Irina Lovric’s journey has it all–bravery, truth-telling, power games, nepotism at its finest, a real look at the personal aftermath of following one’s convictions. Whether she had wished for the mission or not, the circumstances of Irina’s decision to report corruption in her workplace, an exposure of fraudulent fund expenditure and hirings, would shift her plane of existence from a working woman in Sarajevo to the leader of a movement, an enemy of the state, and, at the end of the day, a warrior dedicated to justice, truth, and fairness in her homeland.
By any measure, Irina’s way can be seen as more a labyrinth than a straight path, and having the chance to hear her re-telling allows the audience a close look into a life lived in alignment with one’s values. Though it requires the space of a novel, a plan she is currently actualizing, a synopsis of events is necessary as a prelude to what follows: a discussion which highlights an honest look at her struggle.
It was 2009 when Irina Lovrič went from working woman to whistleblower, granting her what one might call a burden too heavy for even a movement to hold, let alone one individual. Irina was 3 years into her position as a technical secretary at the Ford Foundation’s Fund for Returnees, an institutional fund concerned with refugees and displaced persons in BiH, when she first noticed–and subsequently reported– corruption regarding the mistreatment and misuse of funds at the hands of her director. Acting from a place of accountability, and to her own personal conviction, Irina’s reporting of this act led her not only to become Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first legally “protected whistleblower,” but an enemy of the foundation, of the institutions that didn’t dare to expose the wrongdoing, and to all those who were suddenly vulnerable to the law of the courts, a law seemingly bendable, as Irina describes below.
It’s suffice to say that the story of Irina Lovric was meant to be, several times, relayed to me through an in-person discussion. But Irina, having now entered her 16th year since beginning on the journey of exposing corruption on the state and international level, was busy with health issues triggered by her situation and worsened through a consistent battle which has shaken the idea of a “heroine’s journey” and cast a light on what it truly means to be a truth teller in today’s global arena.
Listening to Irina’s story, as told through her own words in April of 2025, one has the opportunity to bear witness to a path walked for nearly two decades, for which Irina still walks with courage. Below is an interview of our conversation, a detailed look at a life and way dedicated to exposing the truth at all costs to oneself, absent of sugar-coating.
The most widely circulated family magazine in BiH devoted a cover story to Irina Lovric.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Can you tell me how you started working at the Return Fund of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in what position, and what does this institution do?
The Return Fund of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a state institution of a financial nature under the Council of Ministers of BiH which, upon its establishment, dealt with the implementation of return projects for refugees and displaced persons in BiH, and then with amending the law and projects for sustainable stay. The law was amended in order to subsequently legalize irregularities in the spending of financial resources and for other purposes, which had been done until then. I started working at this institution in early 2005, almost from its very foundation, in the position of technical secretary. I was responsible and authorized to keep all official documentation of this institution.
When did you first notice that the management of this institution was not operating in accordance with the law?
Well, first of all, I noticed that during the implementation of a public procurement procedure, certain companies, mainly from the “Republika Srpska” –one of two entities in BiH–were favored, and that tenders were rigged for companies close to certain politicians. Also, a person from Republika Srpska was hired as a driver without meeting the basic requirements prescribed by law. That’s when I decided to investigate a little more in detail and pay attention to the legality of the management of the institution where I work. I discovered that huge amounts of state and international funds were being spent in a non-transparent and inappropriate manner. Often, these donations ended up with relatives and close friends of officials and politicians, who did not meet the requirements prescribed by law. Although I was aware of the danger I was exposing myself to, I decided to report all of this to the competent investigative and judicial institutions. I filed my first criminal complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH back in 2009, back when no one dared to even mention the word “corruption” in the civil service. At that time, I did not know how corrupt and politically dependent all the institutions of BiH are, especially the judiciary. The leadership of these institutions was appointed to their positions by those who have been running the state, and who have been plundering it for decades.
What were the consequences of this act? Did you feel them on a personal level?
Yes, the consequences were catastrophic. At my workplace, terrible mobbing and revenge began for opposing corruption and reporting illegal business activities. All my work resources were taken away, I was completely isolated from the work process, and my colleagues were not allowed to communicate with me. This situation lasted for years, every day. All this had a serious impact on my health and quality of life, to the point that I was forced to seek medical help. Pressure was even put on the doctors who treated me. Since I had no protection, and they had everything, I was forced to initiate numerous court proceedings. Actually, this is where my real problems began. They were protected by the BiH Attorney General’s Office, I wasn’t. The Attorney General’s Office violated my human rights, misused my personal data, blocked all my accounts in order to pay them some kind of reward for their work even though they were already paid from the state budget, persecuted me and secretly met with the lawyers who represented me. Those I reported had power, money, and enormous influence over those who made decisions in court proceedings.
You have been granted the status of “a legally protected whistleblower in the institutions of BiH”. Is it true that you were the first person in the country to be granted this status? Can you explain what this status means and who grants it, and has it brought you protection and helped you feel safer?
I was granted the status of a legally protected whistleblower on the 10th of April 2014, after the adoption of the Law on the Protection of Persons Reporting Corruption in the Institutions of BiH. It is true that I was the first in the country to be granted this status. Many people were not pleased that it was a woman. This status is granted by the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight against Corruption – APIK, after it has thoroughly reviewed the case. This basically means that the Agency, based on the evidence provided, assesses the merits of the report and then concludes whether the whistleblower did so in “good faith”. Unfortunately, only a few were granted this status, although many applied for it. Of course, I was proud to be the first to receive this status because I was the initiator of something so important, not only in the civil service of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but in society as a whole. However, for me, this did not mean any relief. On the contrary, that is when the real hell began for me. Instead of institutions protecting me, they did everything they could to protect corrupt politicians and officials whom I reported for corruption. This was especially true of judicial institutions, prosecutors and judges. So, the status I received was just a dead letter on paper.
After that, they even beat me at my workplace. I suffered terrible things, it would be difficult for anyone else, especially a woman, to endure all that.
So, the institutional protection provided by law was completely absent. Did you have any other form of protection or support? Did any non-governmental organizations help you?
Well, as a very attractive case, but also an unusual phenomenon in society, I became a source of interest for the organization “Transparency International” in BiH. However, I quickly realized that I served them in the sense that they were able to implement an expensive project and earn money from it. Namely, they made a documentary about my case, which was called “Public Investigation”. It was shown for the International Anti-Corruption Day. Everyone involved in that project was very well paid, everyone except me. I worked on the project for free because it was important to me that a message be sent to the world. However, that was not fair. To make matters worse, after they used me for this project, the director of the organization refused to provide me with legal assistance/a lawyer in the court proceedings that I was forced to initiate after reporting corruption. So, they used me for a project to make money and refused to give me the concrete help they gave others.
Politicians, officials and some prominent journalists literally turned their heads away from what I was going through fighting corruption, which is devastating. They did not even condemn the legally binding violence against me. Later, I received information that at one gathering they commented that I was too beautiful and handsome to be a heroine of this society, especially as a fighter against corruption. I was disgusted by this knowledge. Sarajevo is truly a strange city.
So, even after the physical violence against you, you continued to work at the Return Fund? Why? What motivated you to continue? What happened after that?
Yes, even after all those years of abuse, persecution, and finally physical violence against me at my workplace, where I suffered physical injuries and lifelong trauma, I decided not to give up the fight. In my case, the reason is clear. Well, my dad, a fallen soldier in the Army of BiH, didn’t leave the battlefield when it was the hardest, he stayed and died honorably in the war. My grandfather Franco Lovrić was a sports legend of the city of Sarajevo, which he never left. So, could I have acted differently?! No, I didn’t decide to retire, I decided to stay at my workplace. However, their plan was different. After the physical attack on me in May 2015, the Council of Ministers of BiH did not dismiss the abuser Mlađen Božović (an official of the SNSD-Milorad Dodik party), even though his mandate had expired earlier in April. After this, an even greater absurdity is happening. Namely, after Božović’s dismissal, which occurred only in August 2015, the Council of Ministers of BiH appointed Nebojša Švraka from Banja Luka to the position of “acting” director of the Fund. The position of “acting” does not exist in BiH laws. The decision on his appointment was signed by the then Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Denis Zvizdić. This decision was not based on the law, and Švraka was appointed head of the Fund even though he did not meet the basic requirements prescribed by law. However, his task was to fire me at all costs and thus permanently disable me from reporting corruption in the Fund. Although I was supposed to be protected from disciplinary proceedings and dismissal by the status I was given, Nebojša Švraka initiated an incredible 6 unfounded disciplinary proceedings against me, and then finally signed a decision on my dismissal. He did this while I was on inspection-controlled sick leave. They sent me for treatment through disciplinary proceedings, and then they organized an attempt to liquidate me that failed.
The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has determined that you were subjected to mobbing and discrimination for reporting corruption in the BiH Return Fund. It was a landmark verdict that the media was buzzing about. What happened after that, were there any positive changes in society as a result?
It is true that it was a landmark verdict, and the first after the adoption of the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination in BiH. However, publishing this information in the media cost me dearly. Instead of bringing me relief, it actually had the opposite effect. Then, those whom I reported for corruption, who had strong connections in the BiH judiciary, did everything they could to have this first-instance verdict of the Court of BiH annulled. That is what happened. The Appellate Panel of the Court of BiH, composed of 3 judges: Vesna Trifunović, Dinka Čovrk Bešlagić and Sreto Crnjak, annulled this verdict that established mobbing and discrimination against me after reporting corruption, and issued a new one that is negative, based on a subsequently planted forged document that was not evidence in the proceedings.
The aforementioned judges were colleagues of the Court of BiH judge Mirko Božović, the first cousin of Mlađen Božović, whom I reported for corruption as the director of the BiH Return Fund and to whom the lawsuit in this case related. The same judges then annulled all the first-instance judgments of the same court that had accepted my claims, and there were as many as 7 (seven). They also annulled the first-instance judgment that had annulled the illegal decision to terminate my employment contract and ordered me to return to my workplace. So, they did their best to completely destroy me financially through the judicial institutions and thus make me incapable of fighting corruption, and at all costs they protected the corrupt officials I reported for corruption, namely: Mlađen Božović (SNSD) and Denis Zvizdić (NIP) who have relatives in the judiciary.
In this way, the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the judicial ones, sent a clear message to those reporting corruption: DO NOT REPORT THE CORRUPTION OF POWERFUL OFFICERS BECAUSE NO ONE WILL PROTECT YOU. They have protection.
At one point you were pressured and left the country. Where did you go and why?
After the attempted liquidation I was forced to leave the country. In a difficult situation I ended up in the Federal Republic of Germany. There I managed to inform Chancellor Angela Merkel about my case. Although I was forced to protect myself and my life at the time, my goal was also to inform the Federal Republic of Germany about the real state of affairs in the institutions of BiH, especially the judiciary. After I did that and received confirmation from Chancellor Merkel’s Office, I returned to BiH and continued the fight. I think that this certainly yielded certain results because it was after that that the legal expert Mr. Reinhard Priebe came to BiH, who conducted an analysis and prepared a report on the state of the rule of law in BiH, and after him the High Representative Mr. Christian Schmidt. However, much more about my political asylum and my mission to fight corruption will be included, in greater detail, in the novel I’m working on.
Has anyone from the political sector supported your fight against corruption and if so, who was it?
No, I was not supported by any political party. I turned to the president of the SDP party, Nermin Nikšić, for help and support. He asked me to first join the party he leads, and in return he promised me support in the fight against corruption. Since he did not keep his promise, I immediately left this party. Then I turned to Elmedin Konaković, the president of the NIP party and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH, whom I know personally. After he found out that I had reported the vice president of this party, Denis Zvizdić, for corruption, he blocked me and cut off all contact with me.. From the politicians, the only ones who supported me were Mr. Šemsudim Mehmedović and Mehmed Bradarić, who requested the preventive suspension of Mlađen Božović, which was adopted by the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH. However, the protection of Božović as a member of the SNSD-Milorad Dodik party was many times stronger, so the conclusion of the highest legislative body was not implemented, which is devastating because it represents an exact example of the dysfunctionality of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Irina Lovric met with the European parliamentarian Tanja Fajon in Brussels, when first submitted her report on corruption in the institutions of BiH. Later Fajon forwarded the report to the European Commission and Lovric received support from the then Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn.
Where do you get such courage in a society where life is lost for many small things? What gave you the strength to persevere for so many years in that dangerous mission of fighting corruption in a country that is the leader in the level of corruption in the region, and maybe even in the world?
Well, you are either born brave or not. I guess it’s a matter of genes and commitment. The order of the planets at the time you were born is also important. I am an Aries. It goes without saying that I am a born warrior, a Warrior of Light. And where my strength comes from, I’m not even sure of that myself. I want to believe that it is given to me by the universe because it is truly unreal and indescribable. In the end, everything falls into place and everyone pays their guild one way or another. There’s no need to doubt that, I’ve convinced myself of it more than once.
You decided to promote the fight against corruption on International Women’s Day, March 8th. What is the connection between your activism and this holiday?
All those who know what Clara Zetkin and Rosa Luxemburg fought for will easily find the connection. Well, I am a decades-long fighter for human rights, a humanitarian activist and ultimately the most persistent fighter against corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I have worked on several different cases. International Women’s Day is not a day when you should celebrate in cafes and restaurants and decorate yourself with carnations. On that day, women’s rights should be especially emphasized, and every day we should fight for a better and more just society, respect for human rights and every person. Isn’t that right? For me, every day of my life is a task to fight for this and to try to be a better person. What kind of woman I am, my actions will say about me, not my hairstyle or the dress I wear. I can only be on the side of a movement, organization or individual for whom these are the commitments and guidelines in their actions. That’s the “sunny side of the street” for me, no matter how hard it is.
In every story, some unexpected things happen, events and even miracles. Through all these years of activity and struggle, have you had unexpected support from someone or something, and if so, what was it?
Yes, something above all of us: the creator, a higher power, the universe or however you perceive it. I was always protected by that invisible and indescribable force. I also have my own tactics and connections that others don’t have. If not, I would have been dead a long time ago. Of course, I cannot forget those people who are often called “little people”. But it is precisely their strength that is great. Thanks to their immense support, which I still have to this day, a hundred times stronger enemy did not destroy my will or strength, nor did it force me to give up. The little man saved me and brought me back to the battlefield every time. I’m sure if something happened to me, the fight towards justice would continue.. I also have my own good fairy and I will talk about more about this woman separately in my novel. She always gave me strength to go on.
What do you think drives corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Definitely dysfunctional and politically dependent judiciary: courts and prosecutors’ offices, their corrupt management, prosecutors and judges. The very fact that you can “buy” a judge in an effort not to prosecute you for committing an act of corruption encourages corruption, and that is exactly what is happening here. The judiciary in BiH is the weakest link in the fight against corruption. It is in the service of corrupt officials and politicians, and drug cartels. The European Union also plays an important role, which allegedly finances the fight against corruption in BiH. Certain investigations have been launched in the EU, but BiH media is not reporting on it. I believe that a new time is coming, a time in which many will answer for their wrongdoings.
What about the movement you founded and what are the plans for the future?
The movement is of an informal character, because it has been shown that only such a movement is protected from negative influence. Almost all organizations of this or similar nature in Bosnia and Herzegovina depend on the funds they receive for certain projects. The time to come will show how much they really fought against corruption and for human rights, and where EU funds were actually spent. I would not reveal the plans because it is always risky when you have an enemy on the other side, such as the corrupt state system. But we certainly have them, don’t doubt that.
You mentioned that you are not open to giving interviews and that you have refused many media outlets so far. Why?
Corruption whistleblowers go through terrible persecution and go through all sorts of things after reporting corruption. For many, going public through the media only brings even more problems. The media cannot protect them, the judiciary and competent institutions can, but they do not. Going public through the media usually entails even stronger retaliation from the official you reported for corruption. Politics also has a huge influence on the media, and in BiH they are not independent. That is why corruption whistleblowers are becoming increasingly vulnerable. There were media outlets which published false information about me and persecuted me in an effort to discredit me as a corruption whistleblower, so i’m very careful in terms of who I work with.
I recently rejected the editor of FACE TV, owned by one of the most well-known journalists in the country, and more about this and the reasons behind it will be written in my novel.
You also mentioned that your health has deteriorated because of everything you have been through because of reporting corruption. Can you tell me more about that? Did the doctors at least treat you with care?
What I have been through and am going through would affect anyone’s health, and it would certainly kill many. I am not exaggerating when I say that, because many have indeed died precisely because they opposed the corruption of high-ranking officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The case of the honorable prosecutor Dijana Milić, who was murdered by the corrupt system of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is well-known, and I will cherish her memory as long as I live. What happened to me at that time literally shortened my mother’s life, you could even say that it killed her.
The hardest thing for me was that all the details of my treatment became public, which is prohibited by law. I think it will be enough to say that it was recently determined that the highest judicial institution for the protection of human rights, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, violated my basic human right to private life in the most brutal way possible, as protected by the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. So when the judges of this court are able to publish all the information about your health condition to the entire public in order to stop you from fighting corruption, then everything is clear to you. They even persecuted the doctors who treated me. They filed unfounded criminal charges against them, and the medical documentation about my treatment was stolen from the medical record of the health institution. It ended up in the hands of those I reported for corruption and in the Attorney General’s Office of BiH, who then misused it against me. You can imagine the conditions in which I was treated. However, I have nothing to blame the doctors for. They treated me with great respect for everything I do. I am grateful to them for that.
Do you walk freely on the streets of Sarajevo? How do you feel in your city now?
I am a brave woman, and such women are always free. You can take everything from me, but NOT my freedom. I will die for it. The question is whether Sarajevo is a free city and whether its citizens feel free today. Don’t forget that a young man was murdered in that very city, for which no one has ever been held accountable because the evidence of this has been destroyed and the proceedings have been politically obstructed for years. Illegal exploitation of the forest on the hills around Sarajevo, and the construction of luxury real estate contrary to the law and where it should not be, has caused the ground to crack and numerous landslides have been triggered, which is why the people of Sarajevo are in constant fear. During the repair of the enormous damage caused by the floods, huge amounts of money, mostly donations, have been illegally spent. Corruption has directly endangered the lives of all citizens of Sarajevo, and has driven many young people out of this city and country. The official who was finally convicted of violence against me was rewarded for this with the position of Chief of Staff of the Minister of Security of BiH.
He was appointed to this position by the Minister of Security of BiH, Nenad Nešić, who was recently arrested for corruption. The Office for the Audit of BiH Institutions recently declared this appointment illegal. None of the representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, officials, politicians, or activists reacted. Every day, those whom I reported for corruption and those who are the most corrupt threaten us with war. They abused me and tried to liquidate me, the other day they literally drove a German minister out of Republika Srpska and threatened her with violence. Sarajevo has not been a safe city for a long time, and BiH has never been a safe country.
You’ve been referred to as the “Bosnian Erin Brockovich.” How are you and Erin similar?
Erin is one of the most famous and best lawyers in the US today, and this special woman is my role model. I am honored to be compared to her. However, unlike Erin, I mostly had to represent myself. How I did it, without a legal education, was explained in an interview by one of the most famous lawyers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She also promised me help, but over time, they influenced her as well. She also let me down in one of the cases in which she represented me. The same lawyer was recently arrested for attempting to conceal evidence in the proceedings and criminal proceedings are being conducted against her, alongside the President of the Court of BiH. The judiciary in BiH is in complete disarray, and I have no right to justice in the same because I dared to report corruption to those who were appointed to the positions of judges and prosecutors through political agreements, and now manage them. Erin Brockovich was lucky to be born and live in the USA, I unfortunately live in a country that is falling apart from corruption, inert and easily bribed people to whom honor and homeland mean very little.
In this fight you lost everything but your life, are you sorry? After everything you’ve been through and are still going through, would you do anything differently if you could go back to the beginning? Did you regret reporting corruption?
I never regret what I do because I believe it was meant to be. Even though I’ve been through hell and I’m still going through all kinds of things, I’d do it all over again. Maybe I would have done some things a little more wisely with the experience I have now and I would not trust so much those who call us daily through the media to report corruption. They do it for money, and then turn a blind eye to the evil and injustice that happens to those who report corruption. Because of the corruption report, I lost everything except my life.
I would never advise anyone to report the corruption of a political power and official, at least until things change and the huge amount of money allocated by the EU to the fight against corruption really begins to be used for what is effective in that fight. Because, I not only lost my job and livelihood in a country where my grandfather is a legend and my father a hero, but no one is allowed to hire me because they are afraid of retribution from those who rule the country. It goes so far that even at the employment office they obstruct and prevent my employment, in a country where there is a shortage of labor and where I have priority in employment as the daughter of a soldier who died in the last war. Politicians are obstructing my employment in any job in the state, even though I have legal priority, while at the same time they are employing their own party’s staff contrary to the law. Arrests are currently being made in connection with this, and one such party leader was once my supporter in the fight against corruption until he received a position in government and functions in ministries, including the Employment Service of the Sarajevo Canton. As soon as he took up political office, he stopped all contact with me, and my employment was prevented at all costs. Now I see clearly that his support for my fight against corruption was also false, and the evidence is the arrest of his party comrades for ongoing corruption.
In essence, they blocked all my accounts and I am forever marked as someone who reports corruption and irregularities in business. As such, I do not answer to anyone here, because this country is the definition of corruption and it is in every pore of this society. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the black hole of Europe.
How do you see yourself in the future?
I was born to be a mover and I will remain so. I am guided by the motto: “Be the change you want to see in the world” and I strive to be that. My further mission will be to convey the truth, because no one must ever again experience what I am. The world must know what is behind the alleged fight against corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, millions of Euros of the European Union were “laundered” under the cover of the fight against corruption. The logical question is where did that huge amount of money end up, when today this country is one of the most corrupt in the world. The public must know who was really behind my persecution, abuse and eventual dismissal from the BiH civil service. People must know why, instead of protecting me, they protected corrupt officials, and to whom and why do criminals in positions of power in BiH answer? Until this changes, my message to everyone is that they do not dare to report corruption in BiH because it will completely destroy their lives. This will not only be done by those you may report, but also by judges in judicial institutions and some officials from the European Union who easily pursue their personal interests in BiH. I am sure that the European Union institutions will cleanse their ranks of such a harmful infection, because this is the only way to properly fight corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I am also an artist. I paint, make unique jewelry, natural cosmetics, heal the soul and body, and write. Not everyone has such talents and gifts of the cosmos, that’s why I am extremely grateful for them and will develop them further. I carry a lot inside me that I truly want to convey and thereby honor others. There will be many more surprises, no doubt about that when it comes to me.
Irina Lovric’s second trip to Germany.
