Balkan Legal News - 25 August 2023

The following media round up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 18 August to 24 August 2023.

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.

North Macedonia – 24 August 2023

After 11 years spent on the run, Kosovo has arrested one of two fugitives sentenced to life in prison in North Macedonia for the 2012 murder of five men near Skopje - a crime that continues to haunt the country. The full article can be found here.

Albania – 24 August 2023

Political motivations and financial interests are behind the arrest and the pre-detention of the ethnic Greek mayor of Himara in Albania Fredi Beleri [Fredis Beleris in Greek], his son, Petros, tells in an interview. The full article can be found here.

Albania- 22 August 2023

Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania responded sharply after Serbian Defence Minister Milos Vucevic said that their recognition of the independence of Kosovo will cause a harsh reaction “just like in Ukraine”. The full article can be found here.

Serbia – 22 August 2023

Spain seized 700 kilograms of South American cocaine being transported to the Canary Islands, arresting three people including a Croat and a Serb suspected of coordinating the crime, said EU law enforcement agency Europol. The full article can be found here.

Croatia – 21 August 2023

Croatian Women's Network staged protests all over the country in solidarity with women in Bosnia who - shocked by a particularly brutal recent murder – are demanding more effective protection against male violence. The full article can be found here.

North Macedonia – 18 August 2023

North Macedonia's parliament has launched ten days of debate on an all-important constitutional change that would name Bulgarians among the country's founding peoples – a proposal the opposition is resisting. The full article can be found here.

Montenegro – 18 August 2023

US State Department offers huge sums for ‘technologically skilled individuals’ who can tackle cyber crime in the small NATO member country whose digital security has been deemed ‘basic’. The full article can be found here.

Croatia – 18 August 2023

Russian-awarded Journalist Danijel Simic – who was banned from entering Croatia on Wednesday – said the border police action was 'illegal harassment'. The full article can be found here.