The following media round-up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 12 December 2024, to 19 December 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 - 19th December
Three former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) fighters, Haxhi Shala, Sabit Januzi, and Ismet Bahtijari, have pleaded guilty to charges of witness intimidation and obstruction of justice following a plea bargain with the Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO).
The charges stem from their involvement in attempting to influence an unnamed witness. Shala, Januzi, and Bahtijari will face prison sentences of up to three, two-and-a-half, and two years, respectively, and if the court confirms the deals, no trial will take place.
The charge against Shala was of attempting to “use a serious threat, or any other means of compulsion, a promise of a gift or any other form of benefit, to induce another person, Witness 1, to refrain from making a statement or to make a false statement or to otherwise fail to state true information to the police, a prosecutor or a judge, when such information relates to obstruction of criminal proceedings”.
See here.
Serbia 19th December
Serbia's Education Ministry has proposed starting the winter school break early, on 24th December, in response to ongoing student protests and blockades demanding accountability for the deadly Novi Sad railway station disaster.
The protests, which began after the 1st November tragedy, have been joined by high-school pupils and supported by education unions, which are also calling for better working conditions and salary increases. Four unions have announced work stoppages, including a strike in late December, criticising the government's handling of the situation and the abrupt change to the school calendar.
President Aleksandar Vučić has urged students to return to class, but protests continue, with blockades spreading across universities and high schools in the wake of the disaster, which involved Chinese-led infrastructure work.
See here.
Serbia – 18th December
The Bosnian state court has upheld the sentences of Milomir Djuricic and Vukadin Spasojevic for crimes committed at the Uzamnica detention camp in Visegrad during the 1992-1993 Bosnian war, sentencing Djuricic to five years and Spasojevic to 11 years for their roles in the abuse of detainees.
Both men were found guilty of crimes against humanity, including forcing prisoners into sexual acts and physical abuse. Djuricic, who was the warden of the camp, was convicted for failing to prevent abuse, while Spasojevic, who was a sergeant in charge of the guards was directly involved in the torture and sexual violence against detainees.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Spasojevic, who is currently at large, and the verdict is final and cannot be appealed.
See here.
Kosovo / Serbia - 18th December
Kosovo and Serbia have pledged to implement the 2023 Declaration on Missing Persons, which aims to address the issue of individuals missing from the 1998-99 war, in a meeting mediated by EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak.
A Joint Commission will oversee the identification of burial sites, excavations, and the use of advanced technology for detecting mass graves, with the International Committee of the Red Cross chairing the working group.
The agreement is seen as an important step towards normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia, following commitments made by both parties in 2023. However, concerns remain about the non-implementation of the deal, including Kosovo's unresolved requests to access Serbian archives related to war crimes.
See here.
North Macedonia - 18th December
North Macedonia has issued an arrest warrant for former Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi, who is accused of embezzling over 8 million euros while overseeing the state-run lottery. Grubi, along with former lottery head Perparim Bajrami and others, faces charges of corruption and abuse of office, with warrants issued after they could not be located following raids on their residences. Grubi, who went missing on 15th December, claimed on his Facebook page that he was abroad on a private visit. He was reportedly seen heading into Kosovo with a businessman in a car with diplomatic number plates. Additionally, the U.S. State Department blacklisted Grubi and his family over involvement in corruption, and he has since announced his departure from politics.
See here.