The following media round up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 15 July to 21 July 2022.
Guernica 37 will provide weekly media updates with a focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia . Should you wish to contribute or submit a media summary, opinion piece or blog, please send to Ned Vucijak at nenadv@guernica37.com for consideration.
Bosnia and Herzegovina – 15 July 2022
The trial of five former members of the Military Police of the Bosnian Serb Army, VRS, for crimes committed in the Rogatica in 1995, began with reading of the indictment. The full article can be found here.
Bosnia and Hercegovina – 15 July 2022
The UN General Secretary’s special advisor on the prevention of genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderi, said that the dehumanising political discourse in Bosnia increases the fear of a potential repetition of the crimes of the 1990s. The full article can be found here.
North Macedonia – 18 July 2022
EU officials have welcomed the 'historic' vote in North Macedonia's parliament at the weekend, which has opened the way to the long-delayed start to accession talks for both North Macedonia and Albania. The full article can be found here.
Kosovo – 19 July 2022
A new book by American judge Dean Pineles, who tried war crimes and organ-trafficking cases in Kosovo, provides an insight into the complex issues facing the justice system in a newly-independent country. The full article can be found here.
Albania – 20 July 2022
The latest US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report for 2022 says that Albania, Greece, Montenegro and Serbia did not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but are making efforts to do so. Another serious concern noted was the failure to prosecute officials involved in such crimes. The full article can be found here.
Serbia – 21 July 2022
High ranking members of Western Balkans crime groups tried to obtain residence permits in Slovakia by means of a scam, the unclassified Report on the Activities of the Slovak Information Service SIS for 2021 says, Slovak media report. The full article can be found here.
Albania – 21 July 2022
Government approves new judiciary map reducing the total number of courts in the country – despite opposition from lawyers who claim it will make justice more expensive and less accessible to ordinary people. The full article can be found here.
Bosnia and Hercegovina – 21 July 2022
Planned changes to election laws by Bosnia’s High Representative have drawn an angry response from Bosniak politicians. The change means that Bosnia’s constituent nations – Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs – if their numbers in any Federation entity canton are less than 3 per cent, will no longer have representatives in the House of Peoples of the Federation parliament. The full article can be found here.