The following media round-up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 18 April 2024 to 25 April 2024. Guernica 37 will provide weekly media updates with a focus on Bosnia and Hercegovina, 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 - 25 April 2024
After a marathon legal process, former Kosovo Liberation Army commander and ex-diplomat Sylejman Selimi and another ex-guerrilla were cleared of one of the war crimes charges against them; see here.
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North Macedonia - 25 April 2024
Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, the candidate of the right-wing opposition VMRO DPMNE party, soundly beat ruling party-backed incumbent Stevo Pendarovski in the first round of North Macedonia’s presidential elections; see here.
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Bosnia - 25 April 2024
Former Bosnian Serb Army officer Mile Ujic was cleared of commanding troops who persecuted Bosniak civilians during an attack on a village in the Rogatica area in 1992 see here.
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Serbia - 24 April 2024
A Serbian court sentenced seven former Yugoslav Army soldiers to a total of 56 years in prison for committing war crimes during attacks on Kosovo villages in 1999 that left 118 ethnic Albanians dead; see here.
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Balkans - 24 April 2024
As a number of Western Balkan countries join the global trend toward authoritarianism, human rights are suffering, the latest Amnesty International report warns.; see here.
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North Macedonia - 23 April 2024
Journalists are accusing North Macedonia’s ruling party and opposition of banding together to restrict press freedom ahead of an election in the Balkan country; see here.
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Albania - 23 April 2024
A government proposal to extend the abortion time limit by two weeks and allow surrogacy was criticised by an opposition MP who called the practice a form of modern slavery for poor women; see here.
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Bosnia - 22 April 2024
Following evidence obtained via the Sky and Anom apps, 22 people were arrested in an organised crime swoop in three Bosnian cities, including high-ranking police officials; see here.
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Croatia - 19 April 2024
Croatia’s top court has ruled that President Zoran Milanovic, who had campaigned to become prime minister before this week’s parliamentary elections, may not head the new government; see here.