The following media round up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 14 March to 17 March 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.
Croatia – 14 March 2022
As investigations continue into the drone that mysteriously crashed near Zagreb last week, minister says it carried a bomb – and so was not on a scouting mission. The full article can be found here.
Serbia – 14 March 2022
The Ukrainian Army's claim that Serbian 'militants' are being recruited to supplement Russian 'occupation' forces in Ukraine has drawn an angry riposte from the Serbian Defence Ministry. The full article can be found here.
Kosovo – 14 March 2022
Kosovo Police Inspectorate in collaboration with the Special Prosecution arrested 48 border police officials and two customs officials, on allegations of accepting bribes. The full article can be found here.
Kosovo - 16 March 2022
On the third day of closing statements at the trial of Hysni Gucati and Nasim Haradinaj at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Mr. Haradinaj’s defence lawyer, Toby Cadman, claimed his client had never threatened potential war crime trial witnesses as the prosecution claims. The full article can be found here.
Serbia – 17 March 2022
Events were held in Gracanica and Mitrovica in Kosovo to commemorate victims of ethnic unrest in 2004, when 19 people were killed and more than 900 injured in clashes between ethnic Albanians and Serbs. The full article can be found here.
Montenegro – 17 March 2022
Montenegro’s government postponed for the third week adopting a plan to impose EU sanctions over Russia, despite having said that it would join the sanctions. The government had postponed adopting an actual decision to implement the measures citing a lack of a quorum at its sessions. The full article can be found here.
Albanian – 17 March 2022
Albanian police announced the seizure of 4,000 cultural heritage items, mainly religious artefacts and antiques. The Police arrested the holder, who had stored them in a house in Tirana, on theft charges. The full article can be found here.
Bosnia and Herzegovina – 17 March 2022
The appeals chamber of the Bosnian state court upheld the first-instance verdict sentencing former Bosnian Serb Army soldier Bozidar Perisic to ten years in prison for crimes against humanity. The full article can be found here.