Balkan Legal News – 28 May 2025

The following media round-up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 21 May to 28 May 2025.

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.

Guernica 37 Balkan Legal News

Montenegro – 28 May 2025

The Interior Ministry offers a million euros for information on the murder of journalist and editor Dusko Jovanovic outside his newspaper's office 21 years ago - a case that remains unresolved. The full article can be found here.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 27 May 2025

The crisis in Bosnia and tension sparked by Serb leader Milorad Dodik's secessionist rhetoric is particularly unsettling for Bosniaks and Croats who returned to their homes in Republika Srpska after the 1992-95 war and now fear having to leave again. The full article can be found here.

Bulgaria – 27 May 2025

Bulgaria was fined for the police's degrading treatment of Dimitar Pedev, who took part in a demonstration in July 2020, which the court said violated his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. The full article can be found here.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 23 May 2025

The Bosnian state court sentenced Vojin Pavlovic, the head of a Bosnian Serb NGO, to two-and-a-half years in prison for inciting hatred by denying the Srebrenica genocide and glorifying Ratko Mladic. The full article can be found here.

Kosovo – 23 May 2025

The Prishtinë Basic Court reduced Caslav Jolic's sentence from eight years to five-and-a-half years after a retrial for war crimes against Kosovo Albanian civilians in the Istog/Istok area in 1998. The full article can be found here.

Serbia – 22 May 2025

On visits to Belgrade and Prishtinë, High Representative Kaja Kallas warned the two countries that normalising relations 'is the only path to a safe and prosperous future' – and the EU needs to see 'actions', not just words.  The full article can be found here.

Albania – 21 May 2025

A join investigation between law enforcement in Italy and Albania aided by Eurojust has resulted in arrest warrants being issued for 52 members of three organised criminal groups, 40 of whom have been arrested. The full article can be found here.

Romania – 21 May 2025 Romania’s state gas producer, Romgaz, has opened court proceedings to dissolve Greenpeace Romania for alleged insolvency after the green NGO attempted to block work on the Neptun Deep gas project. The full article can be found here.