Latest News from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Closed Hearings at Serbian Security Chiefs’ Trial Cause Mistrust
The latest hearing in the case against Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic was held at the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals in The Hague on Tuesday, when the first defence witness in their retrial for wartime crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia gave testimony behind closed doors.
Bosnian Serbs Accused of Planning ‘Military-Style’ Police Force
Concerns have been raised about Republika Srpska's plan to inaugurate a new 'gendarmerie' instead of setting up a reservist police force - a proposal that was dropped on Monday after widespread criticism.
Cheaper Roaming for the Countries of the Western Balkans
Roaming charges between Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina in July will be reduced by 27% and will have to be dropped completely in 2021, according to the recently signed Regional Roaming Treaty between the Western Balkan countries.
Insults are Everyday Reality for Bosnia’s Women Journalists
In the last three years, meanwhile, the Association of BH Journalists recorded 50 threats and attacks on female journalists in the country. It may also be assumed the real number of attacks and threats is far higher, as many cases go unreported.
Council of Europe Assembly to Suspend Bosnia’s Membership
Bosnia and Herzegovina will be suspended from the work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the PACE, for failing to appoint new representatives to that body.
According to the Council of Europe's Rules, member states must nominate new delegations to the Parliamentary Assembly within six months of the day of an election.
Controversial Reservist Police Force Plans Dropped in Bosnia
The Republika Srpska Interior Ministry said on Monday that it has shelved amendments that envisaged the establishment of the new reservist police force, after coming under criticism from Bosniak war victims' groups and from Bosnia and Herzegovina's Western allies.
Young Bosnians Turn Hateful Graffiti Into Joyful Art
The central Bosnian town of Zenica in May hosted several young people from several towns in Bosnia with one aim - to paint over offensive, hateful graffiti.
Nationalist and political slurs and threats against ethnic groups are now transformed into a colourful mural, under a team led by Faruk Celikovic, a young street artist.
Bosnian Croat Ex-Fighter Faces Extradition after Arrest in US
Robert Kovacic, a former member of the Croatian Defence Council wanted for war crimes, was arrested last month in the United States on a warrant issued by Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is now awaiting an extradition hearing in a US court in July.
Kovacic, now 66, was arrested in Roanoke, Virginia on May 16. He is currently in custody in the US and his extradition is pending.
Balkan Insight’s Week in Pictures
A billboard ridiculing the issue of alleged corruption in Zagreb has gone viral in Croatia.
Import Taxes Are Raising Prices in Kosovo, Experts Warn
Kosovo will see significant price rises and an overall reduction in its purchasing power as a result of the high taxes it has imposed on imports from Serbia and Bosnia, experts have warned.
A recent assessment by Veritas Global, a Swiss company that provides economic services, claims that because of this significant fall in purchasing power, Kosovar citizens will buy less goods.
Rise in Bosnian Defamation Cases Raises Censorship Fears
It also stated that alleged facts in her articles had not been established as "completely true".
Kosovo’s Invisible Children: The Secret Legacy of Wartime Rape
The soft rays of the morning sun fall upon her pale hands as they rest on the stack of papers on the table. She does not raise her eyes as she looks down at the documents in front of her.
Plaque Commemorating Killed Serbs in Srebrenica Sparks Dispute
A dispute has erupted after an organisation called Istocna Alternativa (Eastern Alternative) installed a memorial plaque commemorating Serbs killed "by Muslim hordes" in Srebrenica town centre on Tuesday.
Herro Mustafa is the New Ambassador of the United States to Bulgaria
Herro Mustafa from California will be the next Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Bulgaria. She was nominated as Ambassador by President Donald Trump, reports BNT.
Compensation Comes Late for Rape Survivors of Balkan Wars
June 19 is marked each year by the United Nations as the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict in an attempt to raise awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence, and to honour the victims.