Weekly update: 14 July - 20 July 2023

The following media round up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 14 July to 20 July 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.

Kosovo – 20 July 2023

At the trial of Kosovo’s ex-President Hashim Thaci and three other former guerrilla leaders in The Hague, a witness claimed his brother was abducted and killed by Kosovo Liberation Army members during the war. The full article can be found here.

Croatia – 20 July 2023

President Milanovic has used a never previously invoked power to convene a session of parliament, drawing government accusations that it is part of a 'deal' with the opposition. The full article can be found here.

North Macedonia – 19 July 2023

The US Treasury has sanctioned the prominent Macedonian businessman Orce Kamcev – a man involved in many court cases and seen as a key ally of the country's now fugitive former PM Nikola Gruevski. The full article can be found here.

Albania – 19 July 2023

The European Commission has suspended funds earmarked for Albanian agriculture due to suspected corruption. The full article can be found here.

Kosovo – 19 July 2023

Driton Gashi, former head of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, KIA, has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison after Pristina Basic Court found him guilty of the controversial deportation of six Turkish alleged “Gulenists” in March 2018. The full article can be found here.

Montenegro – 19 July 2023

Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic has asked the FBI to help solve the failed investigation into the murder of the editor and newspaper owner Dusko Jovanovic, 19 years ago. The full article can be found here.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 17 July 2023

The Municipal Court in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo on Friday gave Nefail Cehic a suspended three-month prison sentence for “endangering the security” of BIRN journalists in Bosnia. The full article can be found here.

Serbia – 14 July 2023

Serbian authorities have so far refused to explain why Russian anti-war activist Piotr Nikitin has been denied re-entry to Serbia after returning from a holiday via Germany - and for now remains at Belgrade airport. The full article can be found here.