Weekly update: 9 June - 15 June 2023

The following media round up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 9 June to 15 June 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 – 15 June 2023

Media organisations have voiced concern for media freedom after the Kosovo government suspended the business certificate of the country's major private broadcaster. The full article can be found here.

Serbia – 14 June 2023

Serbia insists it arrested three Kosovo police officers inside Serbia - but Kosovo says the three officers were 'kidnapped' within Kosovo's territory. The full article can be found here.

Montenegro – 14 June 2023

Special State Prosecution urged to investigate potential corruption in 2021 decision to give political asylum to an Azerbaijan-born billionaire, Telman Ismailov, who is wanted in Russia for murder. The full article can be found here.

Albania – 14 June 2023

UK Rights organizations in an open letter on Wednesday criticized an initiative in the UK parliament that aims to classify Albania as “a safe country of origin” for emigrants and urged parliamentarians not to adopt it. The full article can be found here.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 14 June 2023

Civil society organisations say new Freedom of Information Law will in practice limit citizens’ rights to information of public interest even more than current legislation. The full article can be found here.

Kosovo – 14 June 2023

Upping the pressure on Albin Kurti's embattled government, the EU has announced a package of 'reversible' measures against Kosovo, citing its failure to restore calm in the Serb-majority north. The full article can be found here.

Bulgaria – 13 June 2023

Bulgaria’s top prosecutor, Ivan Geshev, declined to comment on his dismissal by the country’s highest judicial authority, saying only that he would wait for the response of President Rumen Radev, who has the power to veto the decision. The full article can be found here.

Serbia – 13 June 2023

Prosecution witnesses in the war crimes trial of former Serbian police officer Dusko Arsic accused him of beating one of the injured parties and taking part in the expulsion of civilians and then the looting and torching of their homes in Pristina between January and June 1999. The full article can be found here.