Balkan Legal News - 1 December 2023

The following media round-up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 24 November 2023 to 30 November 2023.

Guernica 37 will provide weekly media updates with a focus on Bosnia and Hercegovina, 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.

Kosovo - 20 November 2023

Prosecutors in the war crimes trial against former Kosovo president Hashim Thaçi accused him and two of his co-defendants of attempting to “obstruct the proceedings” by revealing the identities of protected witnesses and trying to interfere with their testimony. On November 17 they asked the Kosovo Specialist Chambers for stricter detention measures for the three men; see here.

Albania - 30 November 2023

Tightening the screws on Tirana, Athens says it will block Albania’s EU accession path if Albania does not allow the arrested ethnic Greek mayor-elect of Himara, Fredi Beleri, to assume office; see here.

Kosovo - 29 November 2023

Smoke bombs were thrown and six protesters arrested as they tried to prevent the president of the Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers war crimes court from holding an event in Pristina; see here.

Kosovo - 29 November 2023

The prosecution in Pristina said a Serb has been charged with participating in the 1999 Dubrava Prison massacre, when Serbian security forces shot dead 90 to 130 ethnic Albanian inmates during the Kosovo war; see here.

Serbia - 28 November 2023

Critics of Serbia’s nationalist government who have documented the country’s endemic corruption were targeted with military-grade spyware earlier this year, according to new findings by security researchers; see here.

Bosnia - 27 November 2023

Predrag Markocevic and Marinko Djuric, who were police officers in the town of Teslic during the war, were cleared of involvement in the illegal detention and killing of Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats in 1992; see here.

Hungary - 27 November 2023

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) began hearing the case of Hungarian constitutional lawyer Daniel Karsai on Monday, in what observers say has raised long-overdue debates in Hungary about self-determination and ending life with dignity; see here.

Montenegro - 24 November 2023

Do Kwon, the entrepreneur behind the $40bn collapse of crypto token TerraUSD, can be extradited to either the US or South Korea to answer fraud charges following a court ruling in Montenegro; see here.

Croatia - 24 November 2023

Pressure is building on the Karlovac region of Croatia, situated on the shortest route between Bosnia and Slovenia for refugees and migrants trying to reach western Europe; see here.