Balkan Legal News

The following media round up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 24 March to 31 March 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.

Kosovo – 24 March 2022

Defence lawyers for Hashim Thaçi and his fellow former Kosovo Liberation Army guerrillas turned politicians Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi said, during a status conference in their war crimes case at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, that the prosecution had intentionally not disclosed evidence that could boost their case. The full article can be found here.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 25 March 2022

Two former policemen and three Bosnian Serb Army ex-soldiers were cleared of involvement in the murders of at least 57 Bosniak civilians in the village of Zaklopaca in the Milici municipality in 1992. The full article can be found here.

Serbia – 28 March 2022

Four convicted war criminals have been involved in campaigning for the upcoming elections in Serbia, all of them supporting parties in the governing coalition, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights said in a new report. The full article can be found here.

Kosovo – 29 March 2022

Kosovo’s Special Prosecution said that it has filed an indictment charging a man identified only by the initials M.A. with involvement in committing war crimes against the civilian population of the village of Izbica on March 28, 1999. The full article can be found here.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 30 March 2022

In closing arguments at the retrial of Sakib Mahmuljin at the Bosnian state court, prosecutor Mladen Vukojicic said that the wartime Bosnian Army Third Corps commander had failed to prevent members of the El Mujahideen unit, a detachment of Islamic fighters from Middle Eastern countries, from killing Serb military captives in 1995. The full article can be found here.

Montenegro – 31 March 2022

Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic called for restrictive measures on media that publish fake news, saying it will be a task for his new minority government. The full article can be found here.

Montenegro – 31 March 2022

Montenegrin opposition parties and civic activists criticised the government after it again postponed implementing European Union sanctions on Russia due to internal disagreements. The government postponed a decision for the fifth week in a row, despite having said on March 1 that it would join the sanctions. The full articles can be found here .

Kosovo – 31 March 2022

Kosovo’s Supreme Court announced that it has upheld the verdict convicting Serb fighter Zoran Djokic of war crimes against ethnic Albanian civilians in Peja/Pec in March and April 1999. The full article can be found here.