Weekly update: 4 August - 10 August 2023

The following media round up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 4 August to 10 August 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 – 10 August 2023

When US judge Dean B. Pineles presided over the retrial of two Kosovo men involved in trafficking heroin to Switzerland, he got an insight into how the Balkan narcotics-smuggling route worked in practice. The full article can be found here.

Montenegro – 10 August 2023

The leader of the centrist Europe Now movement, Milojko Spajic, was nominated as Montenegro’s designated prime minister and now has 90 days to form a new government. The full article can be found here.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 09 August 2023

The Bosnian state court issued a one-month custody order for Mirza Kapic, a Bosnian man suspected of planning a terrorist attack on a mosque in coordination with the so-called Islamic State. The full article can be found here.

Albania – 09 August 2023

Almost half of Albania’s judges and prosecutors have fallen foul of a much-hailed vetting process, but among its Balkan peers, scrutiny of asset declarations leaves much to be desired. The full article can be found here.

Bulgaria – 07 August 2023

Major amendments to Bulgaria’s Law against Domestic Violence look set to enter into force in the face of fierce opposition from pro-Russian parties who say the changes promote LGBT rights at the expense of ‘traditional’ family values. The full article can be found here.

Croatia – 04 August 2023

The city of Knin became symbolic after the Croatian flag was raised at its fortress when rebel Serbs were defeated in Operation Storm in 1995, but most Croats and Serbs living there now are more concerned about future prosperity than ethnic disputes. The full article can be found here.

Kosovo – 04 August 2023

Onlookers applauded in court as Dardan Krivaca was convicted of the murder of an 18-year-old woman in Ferizaj/Urosevac in August 2021 and given a life sentence - a verdict welcomed by senior officials. The full article can be found here.

Hungary – 04 August 2023

US-Hungarian relations were in the news this week. After Washington imposed sanctions on four top Bosnian Serb officials for undermining a US-backed peace deal that ended the Balkan country's 1990s war, Hungary’s Foreign Ministry announced it would stand by the democratically elected leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina and called for genuine dialogue. The full article can be found here.