What's New

News and updates from BCSDN and the region

Turkey: Government Reintroduces Controversial “Agents of Influence” Bill, Labelling Journalists, CSOs and Activists as “Foreign Agents”

The Turkish government has reintroduced the controversial “agents of influence” bill to parliament after previously withdrawing it due to public backlash. The legislation seeks to add a new offense to the Turkish Penal Code, imposing prison sentences of three to seven years on individuals acting in the interests of foreign entities. While the government asserts

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Serbia: Ongoing SLAPP Lawsuits Against KRIK Threaten Press Freedom

Media organizations in Serbia are raising alarms over multiple SLAPPs targeting the Serbian investigative news outlet KRIK. Currently facing 16 lawsuits, KRIK journalists Stevan Dojčinović and Bojana Pavlović are being prosecuted by Court Judge Dušanka Đorđević, for alleged data protection violations after the journalists reported on Judge Đorđević’s assets using publicly available information. The plaintiffs

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Albania: A Raising Alarm Over Media Access in the Parliament

The SafeJournalists Network has expressed deep concern over the repeated obstruction of journalists’ access to the Albanian Parliament, highlighted by a recent incident on October 17, when journalists were denied entry by the Republic Guard, preventing them from covering parliamentary activities, including filming deputies arriving amid rising tensions. This obstruction is part of a troubling

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BIRN Report: E-Government in the Balkans Still a Work in Progress

The BIRN report, “Open Data and Digitalisation in the Western Balkans: The State of Play,” highlights significant challenges in the implementation of e-government services across the region. Despite the global trend toward digital government, political will and institutional capacity are lacking in the Balkans, limiting access to public services. Countries like Serbia, Albania, and Montenegro

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FRA Expert Workshop on Civic Space: BCSDN Monitoring Matrix Among the Key Tools for Assessing Civil Society Environment

From September 16 to 18, 2024, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) hosted an Expert Workshop on Civic Space Monitoring and Protection in Vienna. The workshop gathered experts, practitioners, and civil society representatives to discuss the state of civic space across Europe. Participants exchanged insights on civic space monitoring practices, terminology, and gaps

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Montenegro: A Call for Foreign Agents Law Sparks Concerns from CSOs and International Community over Human Rights and EU Integration

After the political party ‘For the Future of Montenegro’ called for a Foreign Agents Law to label NGOs receiving foreign funding as ‘foreign agents,’ a coalition of CSOs, including BCSDN member CRNVO, raised concerns about its potential to undermine human rights and hinder Montenegro’s EU integration. The coalition emphasized that Montenegro’s NGO sector is already regulated

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Liberties: Gap Analysis of the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report 2024

Liberties has published a gap analysis highlighting the shortcomings of the EU Commission’s rule of law report 2024, arguing that it functions more as a monitoring tool than an effective means of addressing democratic backsliding. While the fifth report introduced improvements, such as including enlargement countries, the analysis shows that many Member States, including Germany,

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Albania: Smear Campaign Targets SciDev Executive Director and OBCT Over Media Freedom Report

On October 6, the Albanian tabloid “Prapaskena” launched a smear campaign against Blerjana Bino, Executive Director of the Centre for Science and Innovation for Development (SciDev), accusing her of producing a biased media freedom report favoring former Prime Minister Sali Berisha. The report, created by SciDev and Osservatorio Balkani Caucaso Transeuropa, analyzed the Albanian media

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Serbia: KRIK’s Bojana Pavlović Addresses SLAPP Lawsuit Over Judicial Reporting

In a recent interview for Oštro, Bojana Pavlović from the Serbian investigative portal KRIK discussed the strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPPs) filed against her and editor Stevan Dojčinović by the Judge Dušanka Đorđević. The lawsuit stems from KRIK’s project “Prosudi ko sudi,” which profiles over 50 judges involved in criminal and corruption cases, including

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Albania: Violent Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Tirana

On October 7, violent anti-government protests erupted in Tirana in response to the imprisonment of opposition MP Ervin Salianji. Protesters threw Molotov cocktails at key government buildings, including the prime minister’s office and the headquarters of the ruling Socialist Party. Clashes with police occurred outside parliament, where law enforcement used tear gas to control the

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Serbian CSOs Call for Action: One Year of Prosecutor Inaction on Misuse of Millions of EUR in Public Tender Funds

A year after filing a criminal complaint regarding the misuse of millions of euros from public tenders by the Ministry of Family Care and Demography in Serbia, BCSDN member Civic Initiatives and members of the OKO Coalition demand updates from the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime. The complaint, filed in September 2023, accuses former Minister

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