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OPEN CALL: Re:Connected – Media, Art and Dealing with the Past Workshop in Sarajevo

Are you a young activist or journalist from Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina who is interested in art, social change and the power of storytelling?

Join us for a three-day workshop on the role of media and art in dealing with the past at the History Museum in Sarajevo.

Dates: December 2-5

Location: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Participants: up to 30 young people involved in activism, art or journalism (ages 18-30)

About the workshop

This interactive three-day workshop explores how media and art can become powerful tools for reconciliation and dealing with the past. Through carefully designed sessions, participants will gain practical knowledge and experience in the fields of intercultural reporting, storytelling and artistic activism (artivism), using creativity as a bridge for dialogue and understanding between communities.

The workshop will be led by experienced mentors in the fields of human rights, transitional justice, media and artistic activism, and participants will develop skills in:

intercultural reporting and storytelling,
designing artistic initiatives for reconciliation,
practical dialogue and creative collaboration.

The workshop will end with a joint multimedia exhibition, which will present the works and reflections of the participants created during the three-day process. After the workshop, four participants will be selected to write media or literary texts that will unify the common messages and conclusions of the young workshop participants – giving voice to a new generation that believes in the power of dialogue and regional reconciliation.

Why participate?

Learn directly from experts in the fields of media, arts and transitional justice
Meet and collaborate with peers from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Explore Sarajevo through its cultural and historical layers
Participate in a joint multimedia exhibition
Strengthen your voice in building a democratic and empathetic society

Who can apply?

The call is open to young people aged 18 to 30 from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina who are:

active in the field of media, arts or social activism,
interested in creative storytelling and intercultural dialogue,
motivated to use art and media as tools for social change and reconciliation.

When selecting participants, we will take into account equal geographical and gender

representation of participants from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to ensure a diversity of perspectives and experiences in working together.

How to apply?

Fill out the application form no later than November 20. Selected participants will be notified by November 24.

All participation costs (travel, accommodation and food) are covered. Together we reflect on the past through stories, creativity and cooperation.

REPORTING CULTURE – Connecting Communities for Change is implemented by Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN Hub and Youth Initiative for Human Rights, in cooperation with the Regional office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Tirana, within the framework of “Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans”, a project funded by the European Union that aims to foster dialogue in the Western Balkans by enhancing the cultural and creative sectors for increased socio-economic impact.

BIRN Montenegro Report: Regulatory Institutions’ Spending Far from Transparent

Tracking of seven institutions over four months showed most of them were not transparent about their spending of public money.

On October 30, BIRN Montenegro presented a report on the spending of funds by regulatory and other institutions of special importance, which showed that most of them lack transparency when it comes to the use of public money.

During a four-month monitoring period, BIRN Montenegro tracked the spending of seven regulatory agencies: the Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services (EKIP), the Energy and Regulated Utilities Agency (REGAGEN), the Insurance Supervision Agency, the Civil Aviation Agency, the Capital Market Commission, the Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices (CINMED), and the Development Bank of Montenegro (formerly known as the Investment and Development Fund).

BIRN Montenegro’s Executive Director, Vuk Maras, warned that the majority of monitored agencies failed to demonstrate transparency, adding that the report will be presented to the relevant institutions to ensure that those enjoying institutional independence truly operate independently.

“We took part in consultations with the State Audit Institution (SAI), which has been informed about all the findings identified by BIRN during this period. We will also address the government of Montenegro and the relevant line ministry. All the entities and institutions within this chain of control and oversight will be informed about the problems we identified, and we hope they will take all necessary steps to correct these irregularities,” Maras said.

BIRN Montenegro’s Programme Manager, Jelena Mitrovic, pointed that over a six-year period, the agencies generated more than 191,8 million euros in revenues, while spending 73.1 million euros on salaries, allowances, and other personal expenses.

“In the six-year period, just over 542,000 euros was distributed for sponsorships and donations, with the largest share allocated by the Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices, without any available information on the recipients. That institution alone granted more than 438,000 euros last year for housing assistance, which is nearly five times more than in 2023,” Mitrovic said.

Meet the People Behind BIRN: Marian Chiriac

Marian Chiriac is BIRN Romania Director. A journalist since 1990, mainly covering politics and human rights issues, in 1999, he became a regular contributor to the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), and established BIRN Romania in 2005.

Marian recalls learning about the establishment of BIRN from Gordana Igric, the founder of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.

“I had been in direct contact with her for over a year, as I was also collaborating with the Institute for War and Peace Reporting. I even remember attending an IWPR meeting – probably in 2004, in Sarajevo – when the decision to set up BIRN had already been made by a group of amazing women reporters, although it had not yet been implemented. Jokingly, I could say that, back then, I had to play the role of a sort of bodyguard for the ladies,” says Chiriac.

Establishing BIRN Romania was a significant turning point in his career, although he considers himself “just a journalist.

“I had no idea what establishing or running a media organisation meant. So, I accepted Goca’s urgent request to set up BIRN Romania, wanting in this way to expand the organisation’s presence by including a country that wasn’t part of the former Yugoslav space,” Chiriac explains.

As he recalled, back in 2005, he had ”little to no idea about what it takes to lead and grow a media organisation”, but he did have his expectations.

“What I hoped most was that, by being part of BIRN, I’d be able to report more professionally on what was happening in Romania. In the years that followed, I tried to learn essential new skills like project writing, organisational management, etc., but I can’t say I became a specialist,” Chiriac adds.

During the past two decades, Marian has noted many changes in our organisation.

”BIRN has changed enormously over 20 years, mainly for the good … It started as a small and enthusiastic group of journalists reporting professionally on local issues for an international audience, and grew into an organisation with hundreds of employees and collaborators running a wide range of projects, not just those directly related to journalism. The transformation has brought a lot of good, of course, but it hasn’t always been easy,” says Chiriac.

The same goes for BIRN Romania, he says, noting some of the main challenges that BIRN Romania has faced in its work.

”From the beginning, BIRN Romania faced several obstacles. The biggest one was, of course, the fact that I never managed (and to be honest, I didn’t try too hard, either) to take off the journalistic hat and wear only that of a project manager or country director,” he says.

“Had I done that, BIRN Romania might have grown more as an organisation. Another obstacle was the limited availability of funding sources for media projects in Romania compared to the other countries where BIRN has offices. Still, all things considered, I think we achieved something important: we kept BIRN alive and active, as much as possible,” Chiriac adds.

Talking about what BIRN means to him, he continues: ”BIRN allowed me to grow in a professional journalistic environment. It also means the friendships and the collegial respect I’ve shared with all the BIRN people I’ve had the chance to work with.”

Even if he could, he “wouldn’t change a thing in his professional path over the past 20 years”.

Outside of BIRN, he goes on, “he is just an ordinary guy”, reflecting on what he likes to do most. He also has an interesting dream.

“I enjoy spending time with my daughter and my family, staying active as much as possible – I love running – and dreaming that one day I’ll become a bookbinder and work with letterpress printing.”

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.