Balkan Legal News

The following media round up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 21 January to 27 January 2022.

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.

Bosnia and Hercegovina – 21 January 2022

The Cantonal Court in Zenica delivered a first-instance verdict acquitting Ivica Jukic, alias Juka, of mistreating Bosniak prisoners of war at the Silos Nova Trgovina detention facility in Zepce during the Balkan war in the 90s. The Judge stated that some of the witness testimonies were too similar or contradictory. The full article can be found here.

Bosnia and Hercegovina – 21 January 2022

The Bosnian state court acquitted Malko Koroman of the unlawful detention of Bosniak civilians at the police’s Public Security Station in Pale and in a gym, where detainees were abused, tortured and killed. Koroman was the chief of the Public Security Station in Pale during the Bosnian war in the 90s. The full article can be found here.

Serbia – 24 January 2022

Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said after an EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Council meeting in Brussels that genocide denial and the glorification of war crimes “is not compatible with European values”. The full article can be found here.

Serbia – 25 January 2022

A Bahraini political dissident, Ahmed Jaffar Mohammed Ali, has been extradited from Serbia following an Interpol Red Notice issued at Manama’s request, the interior ministry said, despite a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) prohibiting the extradition. The full article can be found here.

Montenegro – 26 January 2022

Tea Gorjanc Prelevic, the head of an NGO Human Rights Action organisation, said that the public faith in the Montenegrin justice system is weakening. This is shown by the rising number of citizens appealing to the European Court of Human Rights. The full article can be found here.

Montenegro – 27 January 2022

Montenegro’s government coalition is on the brink of collapse as the parties once united around dislodging corruption in the country are now disagreeing over ideological issues. The deputy PM and the leader of the United Reform Action (URA) party Dritan Abazović filed a motion for a vote of no confidence against prime minister Zdravko Krivokapić and the rest of the government. The full article can be found here.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 27 January 2022

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has confirmed that it allowed the former Bosnian Security Minister Sadik Ahmetovic to buy his way out a six-month prison term for abuse of office. The court explained that, under the Bosnian criminal code, one day in prison is held to equal 50 euros. The full article can be found here.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 27 January 2022

It has been more than a year since Bosnia and Herzegovina’s last counter-terrorism strategy act expired. The efforts to draft a new one have been slowed by disagreement over how to address the previously neglected threat of right-wing extremism. The full article can be found here.