Balkan Legal News – 11 March 2026
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The following media round-up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 04 March to 09 March 2026. 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.
Croatia – 9 March 2026
Croatia resumed compulsory military service on 9 March 2026, ending an 18-year hiatus. The first 800 conscripts reported to barracks in Knin, Slunj, and Pozega for two months of basic training. In addition to technical and tactical knowledge, the conscripts will learn about key military operations during Croatia’s War for Independence from 1991-95. Conscripts who have declared conscientious objection will not undergo military training but will instead carry out civilian service lasting three or four months. The full article is available here.
Montenegro – 9 March 2026
Amendments to the Law on Internal Affairs and a new Law on the National Security Agency adopted by parliament have prompted warnings from civil society groups and European officials about potential risks to the rule of law and Montenegro’s EU accession process. The security law changes were adopted late Friday, following a heated debate that exposed deep political divisions. The amendments centralise ministerial control over police recruitment and disciplinary procedures while the intelligence service retains broad powers to access government and private databases without judicial oversight. The full article is available here.
Kosovo – 6 March 2026
During the first week of the trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and four others at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, the prosecution claimed that the defendants had attempted to interfere with witnesses in the now-finished war-crimes trial of Thaci and three others. The prosecution claims that Thaci told the other four defendants to give instructions to certain witnesses in the war crimes case about to what to say in court. Thaci and his four-co-accused – Kosovo’s former justice minister Hajredin Kuci, Isni Kilaj, Bashkim Smakaj and Fadil Fazliu – have denied any wrongdoing. The full article is available here.
Kosovo – 6 March 2026
Prime Minister Albin Kurti snubbed President Vjosa Osmani's attempt to convene political leaders on Friday to set a date for snap parliamentary elections — a process triggered by parliament's failure to elect a new president within the appointed deadline. Rather than attend the joint meeting, Kurti opted to visit an exhibition held in parliament, at the same time Osmani was in consultation with other leaders in her office above. The full article is available here.
Croatia – 6 March 2026
Croatia’s parliament on Friday adopted a law on implementation of the European Media Freedom Act, EMFA, aligning the legal order with new standards of media protection aimed at ensuring independence from political influence. The EU regulation, binding on all EU member states since 8 August last year, establishes a common framework for all types of media services on the EU market while aiming to safeguard media independence and pluralism. The full article is available here.
Turkey – 6 March 2026
Two former leaders of Turkey's top business association TUSIAD — ex-chair Orhan Turan and former High Advisory Council head Omer Aras — were sentenced on Friday to just over a year in prison each for “disseminating misleading information” after criticising government policies.
Neither will serve time, however, as both sentences have been deferred owing to their clean criminal records and terms falling under two years. Under Turkish law, deferral means the sentences will be dropped entirely if neither man reoffends within five years.
The full article is available here.
Croatia and Serbia – 5 March 2026
Croatia hit back on Thursday after Serbia quietly placed it alongside dozens of countries on an “in cases of extreme necessity” travel warning list — making it the sole European nation in that category. The list was published Wednesday by Belgrade’s Foreign Ministry as part of a “traffic light” travel advisory system prompted by the US and Israel-led war in the Middle East, now in its fifth day. Serbia cited “increasingly frequent incidents, tensions and adverse security circumstances” as justification for placing Croatia on the orange tier. Croatia’s Foreign Ministry issued a similar warning about Serbia to its citizens in December 2025, advising them to “postpone all trips that are not necessary”, a warning that remains in force. The full article is available here.
Greece – 4 March 2026
Greece’s Criminal Appeal Court issued a final ruling on Wednesday confirming that ultra-nationalist party Golden Dawn is a criminal organisation, upholding the convictions of 42 members handed down five and a half years ago. As in the original verdict, seven senior figures — including founder Nikos Michaloliakos and executives Ioannis Lagos and Ilias Kasidiaris — were found guilty of leading a criminal organisation, while 11 former MPs were convicted of membership. A lawyer for one of Golden Dawn's victims called the ruling “a final barrier to the impunity of fascist violence for many decades in Greece”. The full article is available here.
Kosovo – 4 March 2026
A court in Pristina has ordered one month of pre-trial detention for four local Serbs suspected of war crimes against civilians, including the killing of six ethnic Albanians in the village of Syrigane/Suvo Grlo in the municipality of Skenderaj/Srbica. The four, identified only by initials, were detained following a request by the Kosovo Special Prosecution over alleged crimes committed between May and June 1998. The court cited flight risk and potential witness interference as grounds for detention, noting that all four also hold Serbian passports. The full article is available here.