Aleksandra Vrbica, Author at BIRN

BIRN BiH Presents Database and Film on Wartime Missing Children

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BIRN BiH, presented a database of children still being searched for after the 1992-5 war, as well as a documentary, The Unlived Lives, telling a story of three families whose newborn babies disappeared without a trace.

The Missing Children of War Database by BIRN BiH aims to draw public and institutional attention to this particularly vulnerable group and their fate, as well as to assist in the search for nearly 400 minors still sought by their families. According to the Missing Persons Institute, 1,297 minors went missing from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war.

BIRN BiH Director Denis Dzidic said the project was the essence and heart of what this organisation is doing – telling the stories of people who are often not very visible in society.

“In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is not enough discussion about trauma, the search for the missing, and those who have the most horrible stories to share, namely parents whose children went missing,” Dzidic said, adding that he hopes the project will awaken the consciences of those who possess any information about these graves.

For the needs of the database, 35 profiles of missing children were recorded, including testimonies of their family members about them and their wishes, which they have never fulfilled, unfortunately.

Aida Lakovic Hoso, Good Governance Sector Leader at the UN Development Programme, UNDP, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, called the Database of the Missing Children a shining example of how investigative journalism, empathy, and technology can jointly contribute to justice, remembrance, and reconciliation.

The documentary, The Unlived Lives, which was screened in Sarajevo, tells the story of three parents from different parts of Bosnia who share the same fate – their newborn babies went missing without a trace, and their continuing desire to find them, even now, more than 30 years after the war began.

The film author, journalist Jasmin Begic, said that this was a never-ending story for the parents. He thanked the parents and family members who had agreed to share their stories.

“Youth was interrupted, as was the future for the children and the opportunity for their parents to enjoy watching their children grow. I hope this film will influence someone and that they will speak up to help move this story forward,” Begic said.

Besides Begic, the film crew includes film editor Elvedin Zorlak, cameramen Mirza Mrso and Anes Asotic, editors Dzana Brkanic and Semir Mujkic, producer Denis Dzidic, and project manager Katarina Zrinjski. Music for the film was made by Dino Sukalo and Dado Musanovic, and the song Why Aren’t You Here was performed by Elma Selimovic Tais.

A panel discussion on missing people after the screening included Fikret Bacic, one of the family members still searching for his two children, Adrijana Hanusic Becirovic, an expert in transitional justice who prepared a case study for the database, Emza Fazlic, spokeswoman of the Missing Persons Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Boris Grubesic, spokesman of the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The project was implemented thanks to EU Support to the Confidence Building in the Western Balkans – which is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP in BiH.

BIRN Kosovo Meets with Local Communities on Digital Rights

On October 21, BIRN Kosovo organised a meeting in Pristina for local communities, including representatives from civil society organisations (CSOs), media professionals, and students. The meeting aimed to strengthen their capacity to understand digital rights and advance their skills in identifying and protecting these rights.

The meeting opened with a presentation of the “Digital Rights and Freedoms” project implemented by BIRN Kosovo, so the participants could become familiar with the objectives and various activities planned under this initiative towards advancing and protecting digital rights.

Labinot Leposhtica, the Legal Office and Court Monitoring Coordinator at BIRN Kosovo, gave a presentation on the significance of digital rights, their scope, and how they can be protected. He stressed that digital rights are universal human rights, essential for ensuring privacy, freedom of expression and protection from online abuse. He also outlined the steps that individuals and institutions can take to uphold them, including reporting violations, promoting awareness, and implementing safeguards.

During the meeting, the Engaged Citizens Reporting (ECR) platform was presented by Xhorxhina Bami, editor and journalist at BIRN. Bami explained that the platform allows media outlets to engage citizens in reporting by enabling them to share concerns about specific situations while maintaining their anonymity. She highlighted that in one instance of reporting through the platform, only a single participant shared their contact information, underscoring the hesitation many individuals feel in coming forward to report a case.

One key aspect of this meeting was collecting stories from the participants, who shared their personal experiences and cases they had identified as breaches of digital rights. These included unsolicited electoral messaging, misuse of personal data through social media campaigns, unauthorized sharing of children’s information and spam on social media platforms, illustrating the real risks of privacy violations.

The discussion highlighted the complex challenges journalists, professionals, and citizens face in protecting digital rights amid widespread social-media misuse and online groups that violate privacy and exploit identities, particularly of women and minors. It was emphasized that online abuse, including fabricated content, constitutes a form of gender-based violence and can have serious psychological effects on the targets.

A total of 19 participants attended the meeting, 13 of whom were women. They called for stronger institutional coordination, school-based education, stricter regulation of harmful applications, GDPR protections, informed parental consent, and stronger technical safeguards.

This meeting was organized within the framework of Digital Rights and Freedoms, implemented by BIRN Kosovo and supported by the European Union.

BIRN Albania Journalists Win EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2025

Two journalists from BIRN Albania have been honoured with the 2025 EU Award for Investigative Journalism in Albania, winning second prize for their outstanding contributions to public-interest reporting.

Edmond Hoxhaj was recognised for a series of stories based on Freedom of Information requests that uncovered the secret sponsor behind the Independent Qualification Commission, KPK, a key body in Albania’s judicial vetting process. They were published by Reporter.al.

His investigations shed light on hidden funding links and raised questions about transparency in one of the country’s most critical justice reform institutions.

Vladimir Karaj received the same award for his investigation “Si në burg: Punëtorët afrikanë përballen me privim lirie dhe shfrytëzim në Shqipëri” (“Like Prison’: How African Migrant Workers Suffer Exploitation in Albania”), also published by Reporter.al

The story exposed cases of forced labour and human rights violations against African workers brought to Albania under exploitative conditions, drawing national and international attention to the abuse of migrant labour.

The EU Award for Investigative Journalism celebrates exceptional reporting that serves the public interest, strengthens accountability, and upholds media freedom across the Western Balkans and Türkiye. The award is part of the European Union’s ongoing support for independent journalism and investigative reporting in the region.

BIRN Hosts Event on Surveillance and Digital Rights in Bosnia

On October 16, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network organised an event in Sarajevo to foster dialogue on freedom of expression, cybersecurity, and digital rights, and to explore their impact on everyday life. The gathering brought together journalists, media organizations, and representatives of civil society.

The event opened with a presentation of the report, “Surveillance and Censorship in the Western Balkans.” Azem Kurtic, a journalist at BIRN and author of the Bosnia and Herzegovina country report, presented the key findings for Bosnia. The criminalization of defamation, the non-transparent use of surveillance cameras, and SLAPP lawsuits – most often used as tools to encourage journalists’ self-censorship – were among the issues highlighted in the report. The presentation sparked a discussion among participants, who shared their experiences, insights and perspectives on media freedom and digital rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Fedja Kulenovic, from the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo, led a session on the importance of self-protection in the digital environment. He discussed the evolution of digital threats, from phishing and spyware to the increasing use of artificial intelligence, covering topics such as identity protection, device security, tools for safe communication, and AI-related risks. He highlighted that connecting AI tools with various applications can lead to the unintentional exposure of sensitive data, emphasizing the importance of access control and regular permission reviews.

The second part of the event focused on digital rights. Selma Melez, a BIRN Bosnia journalist and country monitor for Bosnia and Herzegovina, presented findings from the 2025 digital rights violations monitoring activity. She noted that the most frequent cases involve online hate speech, disinformation, and online fraud, as well as AI-facilitated threats to digital freedoms, including image misuse and extortion, with children often being the primary victims.

The event concluded with a panel discussion, titled “The Importance of Safeguarding Digital Rights in Contemporary Social Practices,” moderated by Aida Ajanovic. Panelists included Maja Calovic, digital media expert at Mediacentar, hvale vale, a gender and digital rights expert, Nasir Muftic, lawyer and assistant professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Sarajevo, and Lejla Turcilo, professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Sarajevo.

The discussion offered legal, media, academic and activist perspectives on digital rights, addressing topics such as the legal framework in Bosnia, media and platform accountability, balancing freedom of expression and regulation, forms of online gender-based violence, digital literacy, and ethics.

Participants were actively engaged throughout the panel, stressing the importance of such gatherings for fostering dialogue on issues crucial to protecting digital freedoms.

Thirty participants attended the event, including 18 women.

This event was a joint initiative of the EU-funded project “Reporting Digital Rights and Freedoms” and the Open Society Foundation-funded project “Surveillance and Censorship in the Western Balkans.”

BIRN Hosts Panel Session at SEEDIG 10

Panel discussed the growing trend of platform bans in South-Eastern Europe – and their impact on freedom of expression.

BIRN hosted a panel session on October 11 in Athens entitled “Platform Bans on the Rise: Trends and Human Rights Implications in South East Europe”.

The panel opened an important conversation about the growing trend of platform bans in South-Eastern Europe and their impact on freedom of expression, political participation, and privacy rights. Drawing on BIRN’s regional monitoring of digital rights violations, it explored the timing and legal implications of bans, their impact on democratic processes, and strategies for safeguarding civic space.

The panel brought together a diverse group of experts and practitioners: Aida Mahmutović, Project Manager at BIRN Kosovo, Megi Reci, Digital Rights Research Lead at BIRN Hub, Snežana Nikčević, a civic-tech advocate at NGO 35mm, and Besmir Semanaj, a digital rights researcher and technology expert. The panel was moderated by Azra Milić, Digital Rights Programme Coordinator at BIRN Hub.

One of the central messages of the panel was that platform bans, though often presented as protective or regulatory measures, are being weaponized to shrink the civic space and limit fundamental rights. The speakers highlighted how these actions affect journalists, activists, and everyday users, underscoring the urgent need for more transparent, rights-based governance models in the digital space.

Reflecting on regional developments, Megi Reci noted: “While Turkey takes an assertive stance, using legal, technical, and informal means to ban or throttle platforms, hybrid regimes in Albania and Serbia echo some of these censorship and legal trends, despite their formal commitment to EU integration and digital policies focused on regulation over censorship. We agreed the WB6 can’t remain on the fence, and must choose between authoritarian control of the digital space or a transparent, rights-based governance models.”

The panel also emphasized the role of media in raising awareness and facilitating dialogue on digital rights issues. Aida Mahmutović reflected on the evolution of media engagement in these processes, noting: “Over the past decade, we have seen how the role of media and journalism has evolved at the global Internet Governance Forum from mere participation and reporting on outcomes to shaping the discussion and the agenda with our unique perspective. We were happy to see that also brought into the South East European region through the panels and workshops at SEEDIG 10.”

This year’s SEEDIG event, marking ten years of multistakeholder dialogue and collaboration on internet governance and digital policy, coincided with BIRN’s celebration of 20 years of defending democracy, media freedom, and human rights across Southeast Europe.

The panel in Athens was a powerful reminder of the importance of regional cooperation in safeguarding these values and ensuring that the digital space remains open, inclusive, and grounded in human rights.

BIRN Represented at European Media Freedom Summit

BIRN Serbia Director Dragana Obradovic and an editor of Balkan Insight, Hamdi Firat Buyuk, spoke at the Media Freedom Rapid Response Summit in Brussels.

Dragana Obradovic, Director of BIRN Serbia and Hamdi Firat Buyuk, an editor with BIRN’s flagship publication in English, Balkan Insight, attended the Media Freedom Rapid Response, MFRR Summit 2025 in Brussels on October 13.

Obradovic told a panel entitled “Spoofing, Surveillance, Spyware. Journalists against Digital Threats” about BIRN’s own experience of digital threats. “We have seen it all. We have decided to fight back. We decided not to be victims,” Obradovic said.

She underlined that digital autocracy came to Serbia some 10 years ago. “Digital tech, including spyware, were misused in Serbia, including those that were bought by the government or bought by international donations,” Obradovic said.

She said the digital threats had escalated since 2023, “when Serbia entered a political crisis, and even more in the last year, when major public demonstrations started all over the country.

“Most of the targeted people are students, journalists and activists. Journalists are not the only target, but journalists are more resilient because they are more prepared, and citizens and activists are more prone to digital threats,” she added, recalling BIRN’s programme and projects on digital rights.

“[At BIRN], we followed digital rights violations very closely with monitoring tools, as well as public procurement monitoring,” she said.

Another speaker from BIRN, Buyuk, presented the grim media situation in Turkey.

“Attacks on journalists come with an advance tactic that includes multiple tools, including arrests, judicial harassment, access blocks and digital violence” Buyuk told a panel entitled “Unsafe to Report. Why Journalists Keep Looking Over Their Shoulders”.

Buyuk underlined that the online attacks in Turkey against journalists are unprecedented.

“More than a million online content items were blocked in Turkey in 2024. This includes 5,740 that were news content or media houses’ websites. Big tech companies increasingly yield to the demands of the Turkish government, eyeing profit rather than press freedom and freedom of speech,” Buyuk said.

The Media Freedom Rapid Response, MFRR, is a Europe-wide mechanism, which tracks, monitors and reacts to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

The MFRR Summit 2025 brings together journalists, policymakers, and civil society to address the urgent challenges facing press freedom in Europe.

This year’s summit feeds into EU Democracy Shield policy discussions, and highlights journalism as vital democratic infrastructure.

BIRN Montenegro Journalist Wins EU Journalism Prize

BIRN Montenegro journalist Ivan Ivanovic won second prize at the EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2025 on Wednesday.

Ivanovic received the award for his story ‘Big Brother: Montenegro’s Interior Ministry purchased Israeli facial recognition software’. BIRN’s investigation revealed that Montenegrin Interior Ministry bought a facial recognition software product called ‘Better Tomorrow’ and deployed it in public spaces in the capital Podgorica and the coastal towns of Bar and Budva.

Following the story’s publication, the Agency for Personal Data Protection banned the use of the software.

“This investigation was the result of several months of work involving the analysis and processing of documents obtained mainly through freedom of information requests, which once again proves how essential this tool is for investigative journalism,” Ivanovic said.

The second prize was shared by daily Pobjeda journalist Jovan Nikitovic for his investigation of abuses during the reconstruction of a museum in the town of Bijelo Polje.

The first prize was awarded to TV channel Vijesti for the documentary ‘Target: Montenegro – A State of Relatives’. The documentary investigates cases of relatives of state and local officials being employed within the public administration.

The third prize went to Podgorica-based anti-corruption NGO, ‘MANS’ for its investigation into the assets of former National Security Agency official Dusko Golubovic.

The competition recognised the best investigative stories published in Montenegro during 2024, with 34 entries submitted.

Labor Rights for All – LRA

BIRN Kosovo

Lead Applicant’s Name: Advocacy Training and Resource Center – ATRC

Co-applicants: Balkan Investigative Reporting Network – BIRN Kosovo & Jahjaga Foundation

Donor: European Union Office in Kosovo

Short Summary:

Considering the emerging situation regarding the labor rights and the partner’s large impact on the field of labor rights, the project aims to enhance the role of the Labor Rights Consortium’s (LRC) to be a collective voice of the workers. The proposed action will strive to influence key sectors/cross-sectoral reforms, raise capacities of media literacy and improved access to information for all with a special emphasis on vulnerable groups, strengthen civil society participation and activism through LRC’s capacity building, advocacy campaigns and investigative reporting through the Kallxo.com platform and a sub-granting scheme.

Project goal:

The main objective of the project is to increase institutional responses and compliance regarding labor rights violations through strengthening the Labor Rights Consortium as a sustainable all-inclusive initiative, educating citizens and promoting the reporting of labor rights violations through investigative journalism based on citizen reporting.

Moreover, the action will progress the potential, effectiveness of the Labor Rights Consortium and promote its collective approach to increase advocacy and influencing key policy and legislative changes, therefore building direct collaboration with stakeholders such as the Labor Inspectorate.

Target Group(s):

Workers, women, and marginalized communities aiming to increase workers’ voices, educate public about their labor rights and enhance media literacy and journalistic reporting through which public institutions will be kept accountable.

Expected Results:

1: Strengthened capacities of the Labor Rights Consortium and private sector workers through a comprehensive program, fostering increased activism and policy reforms.
2: Increased tangible policy and legislative changes addressing labor rights violations through joint advocacy efforts of the Labor Rights Consortium through specific actions.
3: Improved performance and response of institutions through up to Periodical research and analyses which will provide valuable insights and recommendations into labor rights, modern slavery, workplace security, and conditions on public projects.
4: Increased visibility and citizen engagement of the Labor law updates and public education through social networks promoted through a comprehensive campaign.

Main Activities:

(30) investigative journalistic TV reports about practices at businesses that were reported to have violated the Labour Law on BIRN’s Kallxo.com platform will be broadcast.
(5) TV Programs based on citizens’ reports about criminal offenses related to the workplace will be broadcasted.
(3) documentaries will be produced on stories about labour rights violations
BIRN will publish 2 annual reports that will monitor the activities of institutions related to labour rights,
(15) educational materials (VIDEOS)
(6) TV Programs “Prosecution” in which selected prosecutors will appear to investigate the reported cases, each last for 10 to 30 minutes.
(5) educational campaigns (short videos)
(5) TV debates on labour rights violations
(6) In-depth investigative TV reports
(2) annual reports that will monitor the activities of institutions related to labour rights, including auditing the criminal cases handled by the Labour Inspectorate, Kosovo Police, State Prosecution’s Office, and Courts.

Media Integrity and Disinformation Watch – MIDWatch

BIRN Kosovo

Lead Applicant’s Name:

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network – BIRN Kosovo

Co-applicants:

Association of Journalists of Kosovo

Internews Kosova

Donor:

British Embassy in Pristina – Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office

Short Summary:

The project “Media Integrity and Disinformation Watch”, implemented by BIRN Kosovo in partnership with the Association of Journalists of Kosovo and Internews Kosova seeks to combat disinformation in Kosovo by enhancing media transparency, promoting investigative journalism, raising institutional awareness, and advocating for policy reforms to strengthen resilience against foreign influence and improve oversight of media financing.

Project goal:

The overall goal of the MIDWatch project is to strengthen efforts against disinformation and promote media integrity in Kosovo.

Target Group(s):

Independent journalists and media outlets.
Targeted law enforcement and regulatory institutions.
General public, including minority and vulnerable communities.
Women journalists and underrepresented groups.

Expected Results:

Contribute to increased transparency in media ownership and financing through journalistic reporting.
Strengthened investigative journalism and fact-checking debunking and pre-bunking disinformation.
Improve institutional ability to track and respond to disinformation.
Inform public discourse and policy reform recommendations.

Main Activities:

Media monitoring of TV, online media and social media platforms to track how foreign disinformation spreads and targets Kosovo’s institutions.
Production and publication of 25 fact-checking articles.
Production and publication of five thematic analyses related to foreign interference and disinformation.
Production and broadcast of five investigative documentaries that expose the impact of foreign disinformation, propaganda, and hate speech targeting Kosovo’s democracy and social cohesion.
Organization of four televised debates and one national conference, to publish main findings of the media monitoring report and discuss current challenges in the media environment as well as solutions and best practices.
Awarding grants to 15 journalists and media professionals, including 5 grants for women journalists and 5 grants for journalists from non-majority communities, that will investigate stories directly addressing disinformation.
In cooperation with the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, awarding three Journalism Awards for best stories addressing disinformation and fact-checking.
Conducting 4 institutional awareness programs, to strengthen institutional response towards disinformation that affects credibility of institutions
Drafting a policy brief for legal reform to enhance transparency, oversight, and protection against disinformation.

Call for Support for Journalists and Media Professionals: MIDWatch Fellowship

Between October 2025 and January 2026, BIRN will support 15 enthusiastic journalists in conducting investigations and producing journalistic content focused on fact-checking and disinformation.

Selected journalists will receive financial support of £2,000 for producing media content in various formats, including:

TV stories / TV documentaries
TV debates
Video stories for social media
Investigative articles for online media
Analytical pieces for online media
Radio productions

Application and Publication Criteria

All journalists and media professionals are eligible to apply for this support fund.
In line with the predefined criteria, the selection jury will ensure that at least five projects are led by women journalists and five by journalists from non-majority communities.
Media productions must be published in licensed media outlets in Kosovo or members of the Press Council of Kosovo (KMSHK).

Journalists will be supported to carry out research and reporting which aims to produce concrete results in the following areas:

The impact of foreign disinformation on security and inter-ethnic relations
The impact of gender-based disinformation and the discouragement of women’s participation in public life
The impact of disinformation and foreign influence on religious tolerance
The impact of foreign influence on Euro-Atlantic orientation
Transparency of media outlets and information channels reaching Kosovo audiences
Funding sources of channels spreading disinformation to audiences in Kosovo
Capacity of media and national institutions to address disinformation and foreign influence
The impact and sources of disinformation affecting public health and public life
The role of artificial intelligence and technology in amplifying disinformation
Identification of disinformation channels targeting Kosovo audiences

Journalists may also propose other relevant ideas related to the field of disinformation.

Applicants must propose at least one media product, though producing multiple pieces across different formats is highly encouraged.

BIRN will provide mentoring support throughout the entire publication process.

Application Period

The call will remain open from 8 October 2025 to 18 October 2025.

Evaluation

A professional jury, composed of independent experts and BIRN representatives, will evaluate and select the projects to be supported under this scheme.

About the Project

The journalist support scheme is part of the “Media Integrity and Disinformation Watch – MIDWatch” project, supported by the British Embassy in Kosovo, through financial support from the United Kingdom government.

Please send the application form and required documents (see below) to the email [email protected] with the subject line “Application MIDWatch Fellowship for Journalists”.

Application Form in Serbian Language

Application Form in Albanian Language