Balkan Legal News – 18 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 11 March to 17 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.
Western Balkans – 17 March 2026
Reactions across the Western Balkans to the Iran conflict reflect the region’s long-standing geopolitical divisions. While Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia expressed support for US and Israeli military actions, Bosnia and Herzegovina failed to take a uniform official position, and Serbia maintained a policy of neutrality, seeking to preserve relations with all parties. The full article is available here.
Albania – 17 March 2026
In a vote backed by ruling Socialist Party MPs, Albania’s parliament on Tuesday adopted a resolution declaring Iran a “state sponsor of terrorism” – a move aimed at signalling support for the Trump administration’s war. Speaker Niko Peleshi called the plenary session on Tuesday, outside parliament’s normal calendar, to vote on the resolution, which opposition Democratic Party MPs boycotted. The full article is available here.
Bosnia & Herzegovina – 16 March 2026
The Basic Court in Banja Luka has ruled that Milorad Dodik, then president of Republika Srpska, discriminated against LGBTQ+ people on several occasions in March 2023, according to the Sarajevo Open Centre, an LGBTQ+ rights organisation, which has obtained a copy of the verdict. The court ruled that Dodik’s rhetoric at public events was discriminatory on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and sexual characteristics, which resulted in the creation of a hostile and offensive environment. The full article is available here.
Macedonia – 16 March 2026
People gathered in the town of Kocani for an overnight vigil marking one year since the nightclub inferno that claimed 63 mostly young lives. The tragedy, one of the deadliest in the region’s modern history, sparked months of public anger and demands for accountability over safety standards and official negligence. The full article is available here.
Kosovo – 14 March 2026
In the trial against Hashim Thaçi, Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj, Fadil Fazliu and Hajredin Kuçi (who are accused of obstruction of justice), the prosecution’s witness testimony has concluded. Three witnesses were heard at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers this month. The first, who spoke under protective measures, is a member of the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office staff. Christopher Kelly, the third and final witness called to testify, works part-time for the prosecution conducting digital forensic investigations. Meanwhile, Dutch national Koel Herlaar, whose testimony was heard mostly in private session, is a forensic expert at the Netherlands Forensic Institute. Artan Çerkini, defence counsel for Bashkim Smakaj and Fadil Fazliu, has questioned the independence of the experts called to testify by the SPO. The full article is available here.
Croatia – 13 March 2026
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused President Zoran Milanovic of “unacceptable” and “hate-filled language” on Friday as a row between the Israeli authorities and Croatia’s head of state escalated. Sa’ar was responding after Milanovic on Wednesday criticised comments by the Israeli ambassador to Zagreb about the Iranian embassy in the Croatian capital, saying: “We don’t want other people’s infections and germs in Croatia, neither Israeli nor Iranian”. Sa’ar responded on X: “The Croatian President’s offensive rhetoric is unacceptable. His hate-filled language about Israel and Zionism reflects an anti-Semitic approach”. The full article is available here.
Albania – 12 March 2026
Ruling Socialist Party MPs on Wednesday voted not to lift the immunity of dismissed former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, as requested by the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Crime, SPAK, to allow for her arrest. The Socialist Party has a large majority in parliament, so the outcome of the vote was never in doubt. Of 128 MPs present at the session, 82 voted against the SPAK request and 47 opposition MPs voted in favour. The full article is available here.
Serbia – 11 March 2026
Air Serbia has resumed flying to Russia via Belarus, with the new route in operation since 3 March. Air Serbia previously refused to fly through Belarus in May 2021 after the incident with a Ryanair flight with Roman Protasevich on board, which was forced to land in Minsk. After that, many European airlines started avoiding Belarusian airspace. Although Air Serbia is not part of the European Union and was not obliged to comply with these recommendations, it also changed its routes. The resumption is likely to draw scrutiny from Western partners at a time when Serbia’s geopolitical positioning remains a point of tension with the EU. The full article is available here.