Latest News from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Turkey Triples Budget for Foundation Established to Rival Gulenist Schools
A Maarif school in Sarajevo, Bosnia, continues education during the pandemic. Photo: Maarif Schools Sarajevo
The presidential decree hiking the Maarif Foundation budget was published in the Official Gazette on Thursday. Its annual budget is now 1.23 billion lira, or about 140 million euros. This money will come from the general budget of the Education Ministry, MEB.
Serb Chetniks’ Links to War Criminals and Extremists Uncovered
But even though inter-ethnic relations remain highly sensitive, members of Chetnik associations from Bosnia and Serbia who participate in these events did not face any consequences for staging their rowdy celebrations and singing nationalist songs that seem to threaten bloodshed until last year.
Bosnian Serb Leader Dodik Admits Grilling Over ‘Icon’ Case
Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, Serbian member of the Bosnian presidency, confirmed on Thursday that he had been called to the Prosecution in connection with the case of the 300-year-old Ukrainian icon that he presented to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in December during his visit to Bosnia.
IOM Warns of Growing Social Tension in Bosnia Over Migrants
The world's leading inter-governmental organisation dealing with migration has warned in a document released on Wednesday that the COVID-19 panic is adding to existing strains between host communities and migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Serbia gets patriarch: "We've done everything to prevent foreign factor interference"
The SPC Holy Synod will probably be held in the crypt of the Temple of Saint Sava, Metropolitan of Dabar-Bosnia and guardian of the patriarchal throne of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Chrysostom, told Tanjug.
However, he notes that the final decision on where Synod will be held will be made on February 10.
Bosnian Serbs Given Deadline to Revoke War Criminals’ Honours
High Representative Valentin Inzko, the international overseer of Bosnia and Herzegovina's peace agreement, has sent a letter demanded that Republika Srpska National Assembly, the parliament in the Serb-dominated entity, annuls honours that it awarded last October to people convicted of war crimes within "a deadline of three months, by the end of April 2021".
Bosnia Jails Fighters for Using Father and Son as Human Shields
The Supreme Court in Bosnia's Federation entity upheld a verdict finding wartime Serb fighters Slobodan Bogdanovic and Goran Sladoje guilty of committing crimes against civilians in Sarajevo's Grbavica neighbourhood in 1992, and sentencing them to two years in prison each.
Serbia Convicts Bosnian Serb Ex-Policeman of Torturing Prisoners
Belgrade Higher Court found Milorad Jovanovic guilty on Tuesday of torturing non-Serb civilian prisoners who were being detained at the Simo Miljus Memorial Museum in Lusci Palanka in the Sanski Most area of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the summer of 1992, and sentenced him to nine years in jail.
Croatia Slams MEPs’ Visit to Bosnia Border as Provocation
Croatia's Interior Minister, Davor Bozinovic, condemned a failed visit by a group of Italian MEPs to the Croatia-Bosnia border as having "the obvious intention to damage Croatia's reputation".
Justice on Hold: War Trial Delays Jeopardise Serbia’s Progress to EU
They ordered over 200 ethnic Albanian villagers to give them their money, jewellery and documents, and then to get into their cars or tractors and leave.
Tourist arrivals halved in 2020
Ljubljana – Slovenia recorded slightly over three million arrivals of domestic and foreign tourists in 2020, down by almost 51% on 2019, as a surge in domestic tourism failed to offset the collapse in foreign tourist arrivals, show data released by the Statistics Office on Friday.
Dendias: Greece committed to EU prospects of western Balkans
Greece fully supports the European prospects of the countries in the Western Balkans, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Friday after his meeting with his Bosnia-Herzegovina counterpart, Dr. Bisera Turkovic, in Sarajevo.
Week in Review: Future Expectations and Ghosts of the Past
Great Expectations
Joe Biden during his visit to Sarajevo, 2009. Photo: EPA/STR
Bosnia Election Commission to Sue Dodik for Inciting National Hatred
Bosnia's Election Commission, the CIK, has filed a lawsuit against Bosnian Serb strongman and Serbian member of the state presidency Milorad Dodik, accusing him of inciting national hatred. The crime carries a statutory sentence of three months to ten years in prison if the accused is found guilty.
BIRN Fact-Check: Is COVID-19 Killing More Health Workers in Serbia than Elsewhere?
Since the turn of the year debate has been raging in Serbia over how authorities have marshalled medical resources in the fight against COVID-19 and whether enough has been done to protect frontline doctors and nurses.