AUSTRIAN PUBLIC BROADCASTER REPORTED FALSE CLAIMS ON SINIŠA KARAN, CORRECTION DEMANDED

BANJA LUKA, NOVEMBER 23 (SRNA) – The Representation of Republika Srpska in Austria has requested a correction of a report by Austria’s public broadcaster ORF concerning alleged US sanctions against Siniša Karan, stressing that the claim is inaccurate and unfounded.

The Representation stated that this morning, on the ORF website under the Stories section, an article was published titled “Republika Srpska Elects Dodik’s Successor” (https://orf.at/stories/3412079/), which contains several incorrect assertions. “In the subheading ‘Karan under US sanctions,’ the article claims that Siniša Karan is currently subject to American sanctions. This claim is factually incorrect, unfounded, and contradicts the official publications of the US Department of the Treasury,” the Representation stated. The statement emphasizes that the lists of the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) contain no indication whatsoever that Siniša Karan is under any form of American sanctions. “Notably, OFAC’s update of October 17 does not list Karan as a sanctioned individual. Therefore, no US sanctions are in force against Siniša Karan. By being named in the article, he has been directly and personally affected,” the Representation stated. It added that the factual inaccuracies published in the article are of great importance because they mislead the public and may seriously harm Karan’s reputation. “The false claim that US sanctions remain in effect against Karan constitutes an unlawful and defamatory statement and may seriously damage the reputation of the individual concerned as well as the institutions of Republika Srpska,” the Representation reminded. ORF has been asked, in accordance with law, to publish a correction as soon as possible—linked to the original article and in a place, form, and scope substantially equivalent to the original publication. The Representation also requested information on when and in what form the correction will be issued, noting that it must be published within five working days of receipt. They recalled that “the OFAC announcement of October 17, 2025 represents the most extensive delisting in the agency’s history.” “A review of the current SDN list and OFAC’s latest update clearly shows that Siniša Karan does not appear anywhere as a currently sanctioned individual. Specifically, his name is not mentioned in the October 17 update,” the statement added.