Balkan News

Romanian NGO Issues Blacklist of Unfit Politicians

Report names politicians running in next month’s parliamentary elections who once worked for the secret police, held senior positions in the former ruling Communist Party or have convictions for corruption.The Alliance for a Clean Romania, ARC, on Monday released a list of politicians that it says are either corrupt, or …

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Kosovo Calls for Punishment of Wartime Rapes

Kosovo has marked the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women with a call for all perpetrators of sexual violence that took place during the Kosovo war to be punished.Kosovo’s president, Atifete Jahjaga, has urged institutions to strengthen existing mechanisms in order to “help victims of the war – …

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Belgrade Protest Over Croatian Generals Acquittal

Under the auspices of the government, a protest march was held in Belgrade on Sunday against the acquittal of two Croatian generals by the Hague Tribunal.The protesters submitted a petition demanding a special parliamentary session to discuss the acquittal of the Croatian generals, Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac. On November …

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Belgrade Mayor Djilas Takes Over Helm of Democrats

Following months of political bickering within the Democratic Party, Dragan Djilas, has been elected the party’s new leader.Dragan Djilas was elected as the new leader of the opposition Democratic Party, DS, at an early party electoral assembly in Belgrade’s Sava Center on Sunday. He received 2,386 votes, while his rival, …

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Serbia Arrests Another Ex Minister for Abuse of Office

The former Agriculture Minister, Sasa Dragin, and eight more people have been detained on suspicion of abuse of office, as a part of Serbia’s drive to root out corruption.Dragin and other eight suspects were arrested on Saturday on suspicion of abuse of office involving illegal sale of mineral fertilizers which …

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Kosovo Court Acquits Serb of War Crimes

A mixed panel of two EULEX judges and one Kosovo judge at the District Court of Pristina acquitted Aleksandar Bulatovic of war crimes.Bulatovic was accused of having taken part in a group that allegedly abused a Kosovo Albanian, Xheladin Idrizi, who was found dead in Fushe Kosove/Kosovo Polje, in 1999.

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Kandic Voices Surprise at Generals’ Acquittal

Natasa Kandic, head of the Humanitarian law center, paid homage to the victims of the 1991 Vukovar massacre on Saturday – while expressing surprise at the recent acquittals of the two Croatian generals in The Hague.Kandic has represented the families of the victims of the 1991 Vukovar massacre at the …

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EU’s Fule To Judge Bosnia’s ‘Road Map’ Progress

Bosnian leaders are to meet Europe’s Enlargement Commissioner, Stefan Fule, on Tuesday, after five months in which few promised reforms were undertaken.The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Stefan Fule, will meet Bosnian authorities on Tuesday in Sarajevo for another high-level meeting on Bosnia’s EU integration process. But, as key long-awaited reforms …

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Bosnian Serb Chief Tried to Bribe Me, Reporter Says

Domagoj Margetic, a journalist from Croatia, says the president of the Republika Srpska tried to bribe and threaten him not to reveal his alleged ties to the Hypo Bank corruption case.Margetic, who wrote series of groundbreaking stories on the Hypo Alpe Adria Banka affair, said in Banja Luka that Dodik, …

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