Latest News from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnian Serbs Unveil Controversial New Gendarmerie Force
Republika Srpska's interior ministry officially unveiled its new gendarmerie police unit on Tuesday at a ceremony in Zaluzani, near the entity's administrative centre Banja Luka - a move that sparked criticism from Bosniak politicians in the Serb-dominated entity.
Serbian Court Convicts Bosnian Serb of Wartime Assault
A court in Belgrade jailed former Bosnian Serb fighter Zeljko Budimir for two years for assaulting and robbing a Bosniak civilian in Bosnia's Kljuc municipality during wartime in November 1992.
Bosnian Serb ‘Rambo’ Fighter Seized Passenger from Train
Eyewitness Zoran Bogetic told the trial of five Bosnian Serb paramilitaries at Belgrade Higher Court on Tuesday that a passenger who was sitting in his train compartment on February 27, 1993 was taken away by two fighters.
EU warned: Don't give up on the Western Balkans, Serbia and Montenegro are "mature"
Talking to reporters, Kovacs warned the EU against further abandoning the Western Balkans strategy and indicated that China has its own strategy for the region.
"We know from the past that there have always been problems if no attention is paid to the Balkans", he said, adding that he sees the region's biggest security problems in religious extremism in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia Paying Millions of Euros for Delayed Projects
Bosnia is taking loans for infrastructure projects that invariably face years of delays, resulting in big bank fees.
Turkish Exiles Prefer Meeting Loved Ones in Balkans
After long discussions, Mahir and his family agreed to meet up in the Bosnian capital last August.
They chose Sarajevo for its proximity, low prices, big Muslim community and the general similarities between the Turkish and Bosnian ways of life.
Balkan Youngsters Join Global Climate Change Action
School students from Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo took part in the "Fridays for Future" protests this Friday, joining millions of people from all around the world as part of the global protest against inaction on climate change.
Serbian Opposition Sceptical of European Mediation Offer
The Alliance, which comprises a number of centrist, conservative and right-wing parties, indicated it would not go back on a decision confirmed on September 16 to boycott the election.
"Their efforts come too late," Marinika Tepic, deputy leader of the Party of Liberty and Justice, SSP, a member of the Alliance, told BIRN. "This is our final decision."
Sarajevo Politician Champions Legislation to Outlaw Hate Speech
Damir Marjanovic, a member of the Sarajevo Canton parliament from the liberal, multi-ethnic Nasa Stranka (Our Party), told BIRN that he has filed the proposal for new legislation to the Cantonal Assembly because there is a real need for a clear and precise law that will enable people to be sanctioned for hate speech.
Munter invites Vucic to Berlin, Merkel calls for the meeting in New York
"I had the privilege of speaking with President Vucic, we discussed the situation in the region in the context of the Berlin Dialogue sponsored by the East-West Institute in December. Many leaders will come and talk about long-standing solutions for the region," Munter said last night for Tanjug.
Bosnian Serb Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Quits Ahead of Sacking
Bosniak politician Senad Bratic quit as vice-speaker of the assembly in Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity, Republika Srpska, RS, on Wednesday - after the party to which he belongs passed a controversial declaration at its recent party congress that landed him in hot political water.
Serbian Security Chiefs ‘Operated in Croatia in 1994’
A retired Serbian State Security Service officer told the retrial of Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic at the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals in The Hague on Wednesday that he met the defendants in November 1994 on Petrova Gora mountain in Croatia, which at that time was part of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina established by rebel Croatian Serbs.
150 Romanian troops participate in Saber Junction 19 exercise in Germany
Approximately 5,400 troops from 16 countries, including Romania, participate over September 3-30 in multinational exercise "Saber Junction 19" (SJ19), which is mostly carried out in the training centres in Grefenwoehr and Hohenfels, but also at the Ramstein Air Base, in Germany, reads a release of the Land Forces Staff on Tuesday.
Bosnia Arrests Two Serb Ex-Soldiers for Multiple Rape
State Investigation and Protection Agency police arrested Radovan Paprica, also known as Papro, and Slavko Ognjenovic, alias Macak, on Sunday on charges of the multiple rape and sexual abuse of Bosniaks in the Foca area of eastern Bosnia in 1992.
The two former Bosnian Serb Army soldiers have been charged with committing a crime against humanity.
‘Europe Recognises Balkan Anti-War Activism is Important’
Ivan Djuric, the programme director of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights' branch in Serbia, told BIRN in an interview that the organisation's nomination for the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize is a recognition that anti-war campaigning remains necessary in the Balkan region.