News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Between 2016 and 2023, Croatia witnessed a troubling surge in lawsuits against journalists, with over 1,300 cases filed, nearly half classified as SLAPPs. These lawsuits aim to intimidate and silence the press, often initiated by public figures seeking to suppress reporting on issues of public interest. A recent study by the Croatian Association of Journalists
Read more →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
Read more →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
Read more →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
Read more →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
Read more →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,
Read more →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
Read more →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
Read more →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
Read more →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
Read more →From September 18-20, the third regional conference, “Stronger Together: Journalists and the Judiciary Protect Media Freedoms,” was held in Mavrovo, North Macedonia, organized by the Association of Journalists in North Macedonia, Free Press Unlimited, and the Netherlands Helsinki Committee. Over 90 journalists, judges, and prosecutors gathered to address challenges to media freedom in the Western
Read more →United Media (UM) has alerted the international community to escalating attacks on independent media in Serbia. In a letter to European officials, organizations protecting press freedom, and diplomats, UM highlighted the targeting of the outlets—N1, Nova, Danas, and Radar—by government officials, pro-regime media, and political figures. The attacks intensified following UM’s coverage of lithium mining
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