News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Human rights activist Sofija Todorović has been detained multiple times by Serbian border police, most recently on her way to receive the Aachen Peace Prize in Germany. The detentions, often lasting up to four hours, are attributed to a “detailed border inspection,” but the Youth Initiative for Human Rights argues that it constitutes arbitrary deprivation
Read more →Albanian sports journalist Ervin Baku became the target of severe online harassment in August after appearing on Euronews wearing a T-shirt with the Serbian flag. Despite clarifying that his gesture was not meant to provoke and issuing an on-air apology, Baku received numerous threats, including death threats. He reported these threats to the State Police
Read more →Serbian CSOs, including BCSDN member Civic Initiatives, have urged the Serbian government to end repression against CSOs and activists. This follows the government’s recent attacks on civic space after the controversial Serbia-EU Rio Tinto deal on lithium mining, which disregarded public opinion and led to widespread protests. The government is accused of detaining activists, conducting
Read more →On 14 August, the Police Director General verbally attacked journalists during a press conference over critical reporting of an assault in Pogradec that led to a citizen’s death. Media reports had highlighted family’s concerns about delays in emergency services and police response, accusing the investigation of being incomplete. The Police Director General dismissed these concerns
Read more →On 16 August, rival protests occurred in Sofia after Bulgarian President Radev endorsed a legislative amendment banning LGBTQ+ “propaganda” and “gender ideology” in schools, backed by the far-right pro-Moscow Revival party. Despite appeals from over 6,000 people and 70 organizations to veto the law, President Radev signed it, intensifying Bulgaria’s political divide. Approximately 2,000 people
Read more →An MCIC analysis reveals that Macedonian municipalities allocated 290.6 million MKD (about 4.7 million EUR) to CSOs, with a significant portion directed toward sports associations. The Southeastern region of the country led with 42 million MKD, primarily supporting sports and cultural activities, followed by the Eastern, Northeastern, and Vardar regions. Despite its larger population, the
Read more →International and Turkish media and rights organizations have called on Turkey to cease its harassment of journalists following a court’s decision to uphold a 20-month prison sentence for journalist Bulent Mumay. The joint letter condemned the verdict as a severe attack on press freedom, emphasizing that the charges against Mumay, which include “illegally obtaining or
Read more →The protests, organized by the Association of Environmental Organizations of Serbia, and other initiatives, opposing the Rio Tinto lithium project in Jadar, continued nationwide, with activists’ warnings about significant environmental risks. On 10 August, a major protest in Belgrade resulted in the arrest of three activists who were charged with “disturbing public order” after blocking
Read more →A year after the live-streamed femicide of Nizama Hecimovic, BiH has made no significant legislative changes to address domestic violence or femicide. Despite some improvements in court protection for victims, activists criticize the state’s inaction, highlighting a lack of official data on femicides and ongoing violence. In response to Hecimovic’s killing, protests were held in
Read more →On 7 August, the Bulgarian Parliament passed a controversial amendment to ban LGBT “propaganda” in schools, proposed by the pro-Russian Revival (Vazrazhdane) party. The law prohibits any promotion or discussion of nontraditional sexual orientations and gender identities in the educational system. The amendment passed with a majority vote, while a separate text defining “nontraditional sexual
Read more →A recent surge in online censorship in Türkiye has seen over 200,000 items blocked by courts in 2023, marking a six-fold increase from the previous year. The Free Web Türkiye platform accuses President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration of using censorship to obscure governmental misconduct and corruption, with nearly 198,000 domains, 14,680 news articles, and thousands
Read more →In June 2024, online hate speech surged around LGBT Pride events and Euro 2024 football matches. The Istanbul Pride march, held amid a police blockade, saw widespread abuse online, including calls for violence against LGBTQ+ individuals. Similar online hostility was noted across Southeast and Central Europe, with Pride events in Zagreb, Tirana, and Sarajevo receiving
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