Aleksandra Vrbica, Author at BIRN

Montenegro Still Awaiting Unlawful Surveillance Verdicts, BIRN Panel Hears

A BIRN Montenegro conference highlighted that court proceedings against those responsible for unlawful surveillance measures have dragged on for years – without reaching verdicts.

On April 28, BIRN Montenegro organised a panel discussion titled “Surveillance Measures and Censorship in the Digital Space,” which noted that no verdicts have been reached in cases concerning secret surveillance operations.

Former Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic recalled that court proceedings over unlawful surveillance conducted by the National Security Agency, ANB, in August 2020, have yet to conclude.

“To this day, we have no final court decisions regarding the wiretapping and surveillance activities carried out during the rule of the Democratic Party of Socialists … We exposed cases of unlawful monitoring by the ANB, and we [still] await the judiciary’s results,” Abazovic said.

Ahead of parliamentary elections, in August 2020, the portal Udar was launched, publishing articles aimed at discrediting opposition politicians, civic activists, clergy and journalists, calling them collaborators with foreign intelligence services, traitors and members of organised crime groups.

Authorities have never determined who was behind the portal, although some individuals targeted by Udar have been awarded compensation for violations of their reputation and dignity.

Journalist Petar Komnenic called the indicted former ANB director, Dejan Perunicic, “merely a pawn in the whole affair”. The indictment against Perunicic notes that ANB agents monitored Komnenic.

“These individuals certainly were not working for a private archive. It is essential to establish on whose orders they were operating,” Komnenic said.

Deputy Ombudsperson Mirjana Radovic emphasized that institutional reforms have not been swift enough – but noted that some individuals in the institutions are doing their jobs properly.

“We must find a way to overcome these challenges together, and we can only do so if institutions operate securely, efficiently and transparently,” Radovic said.

BIRN BiH and Partners Team up to Help Teach Facts about War

BIRN BiH, Srebrenica Memorial Centre and Forgotten Children of War Association launch joint initiative designed for students and teachers on judicially established facts about the Bosnian war.

This year, three organisations dedicated to transitional justice are leading study trips for students on the events of the 1992-5 war in Bosnia and are preparing materials for history teachers to teach about the past based on judicially established facts.

These facts will be supplemented by the verdicts of domestic courts, as part of activities within a broader project for building long-term peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In collaboration with the Srebrenica Memorial Centre and the Forgotten Children of War Association, this year, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BIRN BiH, is launching an educational initiative for senior class students and teachers on judicially established facts about the war in order to foster dialogue and the fight against denial of judicially established facts about the war.

BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina will draw on its experience from the past 20 years, during which it has focused on issues of transitional justice and reporting on war crimes.

“Although the prosecution of war crimes cases is now coming to a close, we continue to see historical revisionism, genocide denial, war crimes denial and relativization, as well as glorification of perpetrators, even among young people,” BIRN BiH director Denis Dzidic explains.

Following a recommendation of the Council of Europe to temporarily suspend teaching on the 1992-1995 period, since 2018 the topic has returned to curricula and textbooks.

“Research shows that there is no universal approach to this issue in schools throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Dzidic notes.

It is for this reason that the three organisations wish to encourage critical perceptions among young people about the war in Bosnia through the education system and oppose historical revisionism, as well as emphasize the importance of factual knowledge of war circumstances.

BIRN BiH will expand its database of judicially established facts that includes verdicts of the International Criminal Tribunal, ICTY, in the Hague, with verdicts passed down by courts in Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia, with a focus on the suffering and war crimes rather than on the perpetrators. A new digital platform of the database will be developed, making it more accessible to children and young people.

“Based on this database, a handbook for history teachers on how to teach about the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be developed. This project is implemented in cooperation with education ministries across Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in consultation with history teachers. We want to create a space for dialogue, critical reflection on the past, and a healthier future for young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Dzidic explains.

BIRN BiH, together with its other partners, will also organise study tours to Srebrenica, Tuzla and Sarajevo, and prepare trainings for history teachers on how to use the materials derived from this database in class when teaching about the past.

The project “Building Long-Term Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Investing in the Future”, supported by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, PBF, promotes fact-based learning, the development of critical thinking, and intergenerational dialogue – to strengthen trust and build a more resilient and inclusive future for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Since becoming eligible for the UN’s Peace Building Fund’s support, Bosnia has advanced six active peacebuilding initiatives focusing on social cohesion, transitional justice and the engagement of women and youth, with a total investment of about 16 million US dollars, Ingrid MacDonald, Resident Coordinator of the UN in Bosnia, explained.

“By fostering fact-based multi-perspective education about the past conflicts, this initiative in particular equips young people with the tools to think critically, confront denial and engage with diverse narratives, laying the groundwork for more informed, inclusive and resilient society,” MacDonald added.

This initiative is not only an investment in education, but in the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, she added.

PBF is the UN’s leading instrument to invest in prevention and peacebuilding, in partnership with the wider UN system, national and subnational authorities, civil society organisations, regional organisations and multilateral banks. The Fund supports joint UN responses to address critical peacebuilding opportunities, connecting development, humanitarian, human rights and peacebuilding pillars.

BIRN Kosovo Trains Judges and Prosecutors on Violent Extremism and Terrorism Challenges

BIRN Kosovo, in cooperation with the Kosovo Academy of Justice, organized a four-day intensive training on the challenges of violent extremism, radicalism, and terrorism in Kavajë, Albania, from 13-16 April.

This training brought together judges and prosecutors, aiming at strengthen their professional capacities in identifying, prosecuting, and adjudicating terrorism-related offenses and enhancing their understanding of the evolving dynamics of violent extremism in Kosovo and the broader region, with a particular focus on right-wing and religious extremism.

The program was led by a distinguished group of experts, including Supreme Court Judge Burim Ademi, Basic Court Judge Valon Kurtaj, Special Prosecution Office Prosecutor Naim Abazi, and senior officials from the Kosovo Police, including Mensur Hoti, Fatos Makolli, and Nexhdet Haxhaj.

The start of the training was focused on the strategic objectives of Kosovo’s counter-terrorism efforts, presented by National Coordinator Mensur Hoti, followed by a documentary screening on right-wing extremism in Kosovo and a discussion moderated by Kreshnik Gashi.

Day two focused on the legal framework addressing violent extremism, an in-depth analysis of far-right extremism and its manifestation in public incidents, and a practical group exercise to analyze the push and pull factors behind radicalization.

On the third day, participants examined the overlap between terrorism and other criminal offenses and attended case studies on the spread of religious extremism and recruitment tactics in Kosovo.

The final day addressed investigative techniques and the use of alternative sentencing for cases regarding terrorism and identifying signs of extremism during the investigative phase. Participants were also presented with alternative sanctions and the sentencing process in terrorism trials, including the role of pre-sentencing reports. The training concluded with a discussion on the use of social media in spreading extremism and the balance between strategic communication and personal data protection.

By combining legal analysis, real case presentations, documentary screenings, and group exercises, the training provided a comprehensive and interactive environment for enhancing cross-sectoral collaboration in Kosovo’s response to violent extremism and terrorism.

This training was attended by 31 participants, including 14 women. The participants have actively engaged in this training by sharing experiences and asking questions on how to effectively deal with terrorism and violent extremism.

The training was part of the ‘Resilient and Inclusive Community Programme’ funded by GCERF, through ATRC and implemented by BIRN Kosovo.

BIRN Macedonia Launches Call for External Evaluator/s

BIRN Macedonia is inviting external evaluators or evaluation teams to submit a proposal for assessment of the implementation and impact of the ongoing project ‘Credible journalism for real changes’.

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) Macedonia has an ongoing agreement with Sida within Sweden´s strategy for reform cooperation with the Western Balkans and Turkey for the period 2021–2027. BIRN Macedonia together with its three partner organizations implements the project from October 2022 to March 2026. The objectives of the project are:

provide the public with access to credible information that enables them to make informed decisions and participate in democratic processes and hold authorities accountable
contribute to strengthening capacities of media, strengthen professional reporting standards and ethics that leads to higher quality reporting and restore interest in the profession

About the Assignment

The evaluation will be conducted remotely and/or a field mission to Skopje if the evaluator considers necessary. The available budget for the assignment is up to SEK 120 000 (including travel and accommodation).

The deadline for applications is May 2, 2025.

The evaluation process will involve a review of program documentation, interviews with key stakeholders, analysis of monitoring and evaluation data, and field research. The approach must adhere to OECD/DAC evaluation criteria and be guided by a participatory and utilization-focused methodology.

Required Qualifications

Good knowledge of the media and political context in North Macedonia
At least 5 years of working experience in monitoring and evaluation
Knowledge of development perspectives and OECD/DAC standards
Very good skills in writing and speaking English
Be able to communicate clearly and effectively
Strong time-management and organizational skills
To be able to ensure confidentiality of project information
Proven experience in evaluating similar interventions on media programmes and/or non-for-profit organizations
Experience/knowledge on google analytics

How to Apply

Interested candidates or teams should submit the following documents by May 2, 2025 to [email protected] with the subject line: Application – External Evaluation BIRN Macedonia, project “Credible journalism for real changes”:

Letter of Interest
Technical proposal (max. 2 pages)
Financial offer (in SEK)
CV(s) of the expert(s)
Contact details of two references

To read the full Terms of Reference, click here.

BIRN’s Sasa Dragojlo to Join Panel on Corruption and Arms Diversion

On April 16, at 2.30 p.m., Transparency International US and Transparency International Defence & Security will launch a new report, “Under the Radar: Corruption’s Role in Fuelling Arms Diversion”.

The report sheds light on the often-overlooked threat of weapons falling into the wrong hands. States are realising that corruption significantly drives arms diversion, which undermines security, fuels violence and weakens military readiness.

Drawing on 400 cases of arms diversion across 70 countries, the report identifies common corruption schemes and uncovers how weak systems can be corrupted to divert weapons.

BIRN journalist Sasa Dragojlo is one of the panelists at this event, having worked as a consultant on this report. Serbia’s arms trade and corruption issues are often topics of his investigations.

“Serbia has a significant role in the global arms trade. Serbian-made weapons have found their place in many battlefields all over the world, including proxy wars,” he says.

“In that regard, for Serbia’s ruling elites, profits are the most important, as is fostering good relationships with powerful governments – mostly Western, but also those considered allies to Western powers.

“When that is the goal, turning a blind eye on corruption, or diversion of arms that end up in the wrong hands, is a small price to pay,” Dragojlo adds.

Other panelists include Colby Goodman, Senior Researcher; Mario Blanco, Project Coordinator, Transparency International Colombia; Kyrre Knutsen, Senior Adviser, Norwegian Ministry of Defence; Ara Marcen Naval, Independent Consultant, and Sarah Detzner, Independent Consultant, Security Sector Reform and Governance.

The panel will discuss the report’s main findings, share other important insights and suggest actionable steps to improve arms transfer risk assessments and strengthen institutional resilience against corruption.

The panelists will also consider the significance of international cooperation in ensuring that arms trade practices align with the objectives of the Arms Trade Treaty, ATT.

This cooperation is essential for promoting transparency and accountability, as well as for reducing the global risks associated with arms diversion.

Romania Faces Hidden Water Crisis, BIRN Investigation Reveals

Rural communities in Western Moldavia, a region of north-eastern Romania, face a growing water crisis, mainly due to depleted groundwater reserves and the poor management of water mains. A BIRN investigation shows that the people impacted attempt to adapt, but resolving this issue requires political solutions.

“The groundwater crisis, which particularly affects people in UW Moldova (a region in eastern Romania), did not emerge out of the blue,” says journalist Adina Florea, the author of the recent investigation published by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) Fellowship program.

“Researchers have been warning for years about falling groundwater levels. But what I’ve seen is that this water crisis is also a crisis of social inequality—the most affected are people in rural areas.”

Drawing on interviews with residents and scientific experts, and supported by a comprehensive analysis of official data, Florea’s investigation presents a sobering reality: climate change is compounding the long-term effects of poor groundwater management and a broader societal failure to recognize water as a finite, vulnerable resource.

Last summer, Florea spent several weeks in over a dozen rural communities across Western Moldavia, documenting the challenges faced by locals.

Her findings reveal stark regional disparities. Nearly half the region’s population is not connected to a centralized water distribution system, relying solely on private wells or springs – more than double the national average of 23 percent. Furthermore, nearly 10 percent of the region’s rural population that relied on aquifers was facing disruptions to supply because their wells were close to drying up.

Strikingly, many of the villages hardest hit by water shortages are located just kilometers away from urban centers where water access is stable, underscoring the deepening social inequality tied to infrastructure and public investment.

Florea presented her findings during a public debate in Bucharest last week, hosted by Fundatia 9, a Romanian nonprofit that supports youth through cultural and educational programs. The event drew significant interest, particularly from attendees eager to understand what solutions might be implemented to combat water insecurity – an issue many rural residents are already trying to adapt to on their own.

In response, Florea emphasized that both central and local authorities must take the lead in developing long-term strategies for more efficient use of existing water resources. These could include rainwater harvesting systems and improved soil protection measures, aimed at enhancing natural groundwater recharge.

Citing expert insights, she also warned that “if extreme climate change causes groundwater levels to drop too far, reversing that trend may become impossible.”

Another critical challenge is water loss through deteriorating infrastructure. Official figures show that around 40 percent of water is lost through leaks and inefficiencies in Romania’s distribution networks – a figure that climbs above 50 percent in Western Moldavia. The causes, Florea noted, include aging pipes in urgent need of replacement and a system originally built for a smaller, less water-dependent population.

BIRN Launches New Digital Freedoms Monitoring Tool

On April 11, BIRN launched a new version of its Digital Freedoms Monitoring Tool to continue monitoring and documenting violations of digital rights across the region.

Since 2024, BIRN has monitored digital rights developments in ten countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.

To ensure the monitoring framework remains relevant and responsive to evolving digital rights challenges, a new methodology was developed in 2024 that has been implemented from September 2024. This builds on previous monitoring efforts while incorporating emerging digital rights violations, ensuring a comprehensive and systematic approach to documenting abuses in the online space. By continuously tracking incidents, BIRN provides crucial insights into how digital rights abuses evolve over time and how they may influence future policies and regulations.

The methodology groups digital rights violations into seven umbrella categories, applying a human rights-based approach:

Freedom of expression and media
Freedom, pluralism of information and protection from manipulation
Personal data protection and security
Digital civic participation and engagement
Technological access and equity
Threatening behaviour and harmful content
Economic rights and digital asset protection

The methodology reflects BIRN’s commitment to media freedom, rule of law, transparency, transitional justice, internet freedom and victims’ rights. Find out more here: https://monitoring.bird.tools/

The new website was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union, as part of the Reporting Digital Rights and Freedoms project. Its content is the sole responsibility of BIRN and does not necessarily reflect the views of the EU.

Albanian Journalists Discuss Challenges in Media Coverage Ahead of Elections

In the lead-up to the May 11 parliamentary elections, BIRN Albania in cooperation with the Central Election Commission (CEC) organised a two-day roundtable bringing together 40 journalists from leading national and local media to discuss electoral challenges and the role of the media in the democratic process.

Held on April 4-5, in Golem, the event, titled “Electoral Challenges and Media Coverage of the 2025 Parliamentary Elections,” provided an open forum for dialogue between 40 journalists and senior CEC officials, including Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi.

Sessions focused on key topics, such as the procedures for members of the diaspora to vote, the legal framework for verifying candidates and the role of media in ensuring transparency of candidate lists. Discussions also highlighted how journalists can contribute to promoting informed political participation and meaningful coverage during the campaign.

Another focus was on the financing of electoral campaigns, including political advertising on social media, the transparency of donations and applicable legal obligations. Journalists explored the challenges of monitoring online campaigning and discussed the tools available for financial transparency.

The roundtable also included a review of the progress made by Albanian institutions in addressing OSCE/ODIHR recommendations on media conduct, electoral administration and voter education, especially concerning marginalized groups and diaspora communities.

“Open dialogue with the media is crucial for ensuring transparency and trust in the electoral process,” Commissioner Celibashi said. “Through these discussions, we aim to strengthen collaboration and promote a fair and informed campaign environment.”

This activity was supported by the British embassy in Tirana and forms part of BIRN Albania’s ongoing efforts to enhance cooperation between electoral institutions and the media sector, particularly in the lead-up to major elections.

BIRN Albania Launches Call for External Evaluator to Assess 2021–2025 Strategy

BIRN Albania is inviting experienced international experts or evaluation teams to apply for a consultancy to assess the implementation and impact of its Strategic Plan for the period 2021–2025.

This evaluation will play a crucial role in guiding the organisation’s future strategic planning and in assessing the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and overall impact of BIRN Albania’s work over the past five years. Special consideration will also be given to the Sida core support modality and how it has influenced the organisation’s operations and results.

About the Assignment

The evaluation will be conducted remotely, with one required field mission to Tirana. The contract will span a maximum of 20 working days and the available budget for the assignment is up to 6,000 euros (excluding travel and accommodation, which will be covered separately by BIRN Albania).

The deadline for applications is April 30, 2025.

Scope and Objectives

The selected evaluator(s) will be tasked with reviewing BIRN Albania’s progress toward its strategic objectives, which include:

Ensuring increased public access to accurate information;
Enhancing citizens’ influence on democratic processes;
Supporting people in claiming their rights;
Strengthening the organisation’s internal capacities.

The evaluation process will involve a review of programme documentation, interviews with key stakeholders, analysis of monitoring and evaluation data and field research. The approach must adhere to OECD/DAC evaluation criteria and be guided by a participatory and utilisation-focused methodology.

Required Qualifications

Minimum of five years of evaluation experience, preferably in media, civil society, or governance-related fields
Proven expertise in assessing programmes related to investigative journalism, freedom of expression, or democratic development
Familiarity with the Albanian and/or Balkan context
Excellent English writing and communication skills (knowledge of Albanian is an asset)
Understanding of OECD/DAC standards and development evaluation methodologies

How to Apply

Interested candidates or teams should submit the following documents by April 30, 2025 to [email protected] with the subject line: Application – External Evaluation BIRN Albania Strategy 2021–2025:

Letter of Interest
Technical proposal (max. 2 pages)
Financial proposal (in euros)
CV(s) of the expert(s)
Contact details of two references

To read the full Terms of Reference, click here.

Funding Open to Engage Your Audience: Second Call for Audience-Engaged Journalism Grants

Media outlets from 10 Balkan and Visegrad countries are invited to apply for grants, training, mentoring, and access to BIRN’s innovative audience-engagement digital tool in the second call for Audience-Engaged journalism grants.

This innovative approach places the audience as a direct and active participant in content creation, fostering trust and stronger relationships between media outlets and their communities, ultimately making them more credible and reliable sources of information.

Do you want to engage your audience and build trust within your community while addressing underreported issues? Submit your original story proposal and share details about the community you wish to engage.

Who is eligible to apply?

Media outlets from the following 10 Balkan and Visegrad countries may apply: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Czech Republic, Poland, Serbia and Slovakia.

What are we offering?

Grants for individual stories of up to €4,000.
Grants for cross-border stories of up to €8,000.
Four-day online training on audience engagement.
Mentoring throughout the project.
Access to a digital tool to enhance audience engagement.

After a successful first cycle of grants, in the second cycle BIRN will fund up to six media outlets to strengthen their reporting and investigate underreported issues within diverse communities. Stories focusing on marginalised communities, youth and women are strongly encouraged.

Media outlets will utilise the audience-engagement tool developed by BIRN to crowdsource, gather and analyse data from their communities. Audience-engaged journalism seeks to bridge the gap between newsrooms and their audiences, transforming journalism into a service that directly responds to the needs of the community.

About the project

The Audience-Engaged Journalism Grants are part of the project Media Innovation Europe: Independence Through Sustainability (MIE). This two-year initiative is led by the International Press Institute (IPI) and its consortium partners, The Fix Foundation, BIRN and Thomson Media (TM). The project focuses on building networks, providing consultancy and offering guidance to participating newsrooms.

The first edition of Media Innovation Europe was launched in June 2022 to invigorate the European ecosystem for independent and local journalism. As part of this initiative, media outlets produced a range of audience-engaged stories, some of which you can read here:

How to apply?

To learn more about the grants, click HERE to read the full call for applications. After reviewing the information, follow the link to access the application form.