Balkan Legal News

The following media round up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 12 December to 15 December 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.

Albania – 15 December 2022

Albania's special anti-corruption court announced a 10-year jail sentence for Bijan Pooladrag, who was first arrested in 2020 on suspicion of being an Iranian agent monitoring the MEK organisation in Albania. The full article can be found here.

Albania – 14 December 2022

The US ambassador has urged members of the High Council of Prosecutors to freely elect the next anti-corruption chief after days of media speculation about interference in the process. The full article can be found here.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 14 December 2022

The latest report from Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, shows that 2022 was the worst year for journalists worldwide, with a record number detained, killed, held hostage or gone missing. The full article can be found here.

Albania – 13 December 2022

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the dismissal of prosecutor Antoneta Sevdari was disproportionate but said her case didn’t show the systemic failure of the vetting process aimed at tackling corruption in the judiciary. The full article can be found here.

Kosovo - 15 December 2022

The war crimes trial of former Kosovo Liberation Army officer Salih Mustafa gave the first insight into the workings of the Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers – although much of the proceedings remained hidden from public view. The full article can be found here.

Kosovo – 14 December 2022

Former Serb policeman Caslav Jolic, who is accused of committing war crimes by assaulting civilians in the municipality of Istog/Istok in 1998, denied the charges against him as his trial opened in Pristina. The full article can be found here.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 13 December 2022

The Bosnian state prosecution announced that State Investigation and Protection Agency officers have arrested six people in Sarajevo and Gorazde on war crimes charges. The full article can be found here.

Montenegro – 12 December 2022

Special State Prosecution Office charged Sasa Cadjenovic with protecting notorious Kavac drug gang members, adding that the investigation could be expanded to other prosecution and police officials. The full article can be found here.