Category: News and Events

BIRN Montenegro Urges Tighter Control of Public Officials’ Crypto Assets

On December 30, BIRN Montenegro urged the country’s Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK) to enhance oversight of public officials’ ownership of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.

In a formal initiative addressed to the Agency’s Council and its interim director, Dušan Drakić, BIRN Montenegro raised concerns about the lack of available information on the value of digital assets in public officials’ asset declarations.

“Given the increasing popularity of cryptocurrencies among public officials and their potential as an effective mechanism to conceal assets, we call on the Agency’s Council to organise a thematic session with Agency staff and other stakeholders as soon as possible. The aim is to improve this area before the deadline for submitting annual reports on the income and assets of public officials,” the initiative stated.

BIRN Montenegro has called for the introduction of a specific section titled “Digital Assets” in officials’ asset declaration forms, requiring them to disclose the type, name, quantity and market value of any cryptocurrencies they own.

The initiative would require officials to provide statements from all digital wallets they hold and stipulate proceedings against officials who fail to report digital assets, as mandated by the Law on Prevention of Corruption.

BIRN Montenegro called on the Agency to publish detailed reports on the types, quantities and values of digital assets owned by public officials after the completion of these procedures.

BIRN Montenegro’s analysis of the asset declarations of six public officials revealed that only Deputy Prime Minister Niko Gjeloshaj provided precise information about the value of his assets.

Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, Minister of Spatial Planning, Urbanism, and State Assets Slaven Radunovic, Minister of Mining, Oil, and Gas Admir Sahmanovic, and the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, Branko Krvavac, failed to specify the types or quantities of cryptocurrencies they own.

Opposition MP Illir Capuni disclosed the type of cryptocurrency he owns but not its quantity.

BIRN Montenegro emphasized the need for reforms to ensure transparency and accountability in the declaration of digital assets, to prevent the misuse of cryptocurrencies by public officials to conceal their assets.

BIRN Macedonia Presents Findings on Digital Rights Violations

On December 23, BIRN Macedonia’s team met with experts and government representatives to discuss digital rights in the country.

At the consultative meeting, BIRN’s senior journalist, Goce Trpkovski, presented recommendations based on findings from a two-year monitoring period.

Trpkovski showcased the most significant violations of digital rights and the patterns that have emerged, noting that BIRN recorded 501 violations from 2022 until the end of 2024, including hate speech, crypto currency scams and misuse of AI to create fake sexual content of girls.

Trpkovski presented BIRN’s recommendations for improving the digital rights situation in three categories: urgent, medium-term and long-term recommendations.

BIRN received feedback from a number of experts from the non-governmental sector, including the Research Institute RESIS, Internet Governance Forum, Media Development Center, Helsinki Committee of Human Rights, Metamorphosis foundation, as well as from the Personal Data Protection Agency, the sector for cybercrime within the police.

BIRN Kosovo Holds Training on Property Rights and Registration

BIRN Kosovo organised one-day trainings over December in Prishtina, Prizren, Mitrovica, Gjilan and Ferizaj for journalists, public relations officers and influencers on property rights and procedures for property registration.

During December, 80 participants have taken part in the five municipalities.

The first part of the training addressed common property problems and the legal bases that regulate property issues.

The second part of the training focused on changes to the Cadastre Law and the management of Cadastre Offices, the right of access to property information and the provision of information on property matters relating to the Law on Privacy and the Law on Cadastre.

Session leaders were Kreshnik Gashi, editor-in-chief at KALLXO.com and Labinot Leposhtica, a legal expert.

BIRN will hold similar trainings in Peja and Gjakova over December.

The sessions are aimed at developing the capacity of journalists, influencers and local media – including editors and public relations officers as well as communication officers – on the new Law on Cadastre, contracts for the purchase and sale of movable real estate, the procedures for property registration and reporting on these issues.

This activity is part of the Public Information and Awareness Services for Vulnerable Communities in Kosovo PIAKOS project, in which BIRN acts as a co-implementing party.

The project is financed by the World Bank/State and Peace Building Trust Fund.

Call for Journalists and Editors From Western Balkans: Additional Place on One-Month Regional Exchange Programme

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) is pleased to announce that it is seeking a journalist or editor for an additional place on its exclusive one-month regional exchange programme.

This call invites journalists and editors from Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia) to apply and take part in the exchange in Montenegro. The programme offers a unique opportunity for participants to familiarize themselves with different newsrooms across the region, enabling them to acquire new skills and expertise in investigative news production while fostering knowledge exchange among their peers.

ABOUT THE EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

The One-Month Regional Exchange Programme is a capacity-building opportunity for media, editors and journalists from the Western Balkans to facilitate the production of quality news and an investigative production environment, enabling both parties to engage in knowledge exchange, comprehensive mentoring and cross-border approaches.

WHO IS IT DESIGNED FOR?

The exchange programme is designed for both media and editors/journalists from the Western Balkan countries. It creates opportunities for the host media to share their knowledge with colleagues from other media in the Western Balkan region. It provides an opportunity for editors/journalists to spend one month immersed in a host media distinct from their country of origin while at the same time working together.

WHO CAN APPLY?

Journalists/editors from five (5) Western Balkan countries may apply to this call.

To apply for the programme, they must meet the following criteria:

1. Be a resident of one of the five Western Balkans countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia).
2. Have at least three years track record of working in journalism sector.
3. Demonstrate a strong motivation and commitment to participation in the exchange programme.
4. Availability to spend one month in a host media located in Montenegro, distinct from her/his country of residence, in 2025.

Within this call, one (1) journalist/editor will be selected in accordance with the predefined selection criteria and will have an opportunity to work with the Centar za istraživačko novinarstvo Crne Gore (Centre for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro – CIN CG), which is the host media for this call.

BENEFITS AND LOGISTICS FOR THE JOURNALISTS/EDITORS

BIRN will cover the travel, accommodation, and bursary costs for the selected journalists/editors.

HOW TO APPLY?

Please share your interest through filling in the application form in English language by January 16 (Thursday).

More information about the call can be found here.

Montenegro Parliament Examines BIRN Report on Energy Companies’ Spending

Anti-Corruption Committee holds hearing with minister and energy company heads to discuss report’s key findings.

On December 18, BIRN Montenegro presented its monitoring report on the expenditure of funds in state-owned energy companies to parliament’s Anti-Corruption Committee.

Based on the report, the committee organised a hearing with the Minister of Energy, Sasa Mujovic, and with the heads of state-owned energy companies: Montenegrin Electric Power Company, EPCG, Montenegrin Electricity Distribution System, CEDIS, Montenegrin Electricity Transmission System, EPCG, the Coal Mine Pljevlja and EPCG – Steel Plant Niksic.

The committee adopted a conclusion urging all the energy companies to implement more reforms, invest in modernization and renewable energy and pursue innovative projects while emphasizing transparency, accountability and anti-corruption mechanisms.

BIRN Montenegro director Vuk Maras said that state-owned power companies have demonstrated a lack of transparency in their hiring practices and in the allocation of donations and sponsorships.

“In monitored state-owned companies, employment increased by 1,500 workers between 2021 and 2023, while annual salary expenses rose from €73 million to €115 million.

“Sponsorships and donations, which stood at €929,000 in 2019 and 2020, jumped to €1.4 million in 2021 and €1.9 million in 2022,” Maras said.

Minister of Energy Sasa Mujovic called the BIRN report a good basis for analyzing the operations of state-owned companies, urging managements to demonstrate greater transparency and control expenses related to donations and sponsorships.

The minister said he had forwarded some of BIRN’s recommendations to the managements of state-owned companies.

BIRN Kosovo Presents Report on Challenges to Terrorism Prevention Strategy

New report looks at national counter-terrorism strategy and assesses whether early intervention mechanisms are working.

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Kosovo, BIRN Kosovo, has published a new report, “Challenges of Terrorism Prevention Mechanisms in Kosovo”, presenting Kosovo’s problems in preventing and combating extremism and terrorism.

The analysis is supported by the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, GCERF, as part of the Resilient and Inclusive Community Programme.

The report looks at implementation of the national strategy and examines the development of an early intervention system to protect individuals at risk of radicalization and assesses the impact of government and non-government efforts in preventing violent extremism.

The findings of the report are the result of six months of research and monitoring work in 26 municipalities, including interviews with relevant stakeholders in Kosovo.

Speakers at the launch were: Xhelal Sveçla, Minister of Interior and National Coordinator for the State Strategy for Preventing and Combating Terrorism; Khalid Koser, founder and director of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, GCERF, Kreshnik Gashi, editor-in-chief of KALLXO.com, and Labinot Leposhtica.

“Kosovo has joined global coalitions in combating terrorism. Kosovo has taken responsibility for repatriating individuals from Syria, rehabilitating them, and reintegrating them into society. One of the main pillars of our five-year strategy 2023-2028 is the inclusion of local mechanisms and civil society,” Sveçla said.

Koser of GCERF complimented the methods used for the report, such as surveys and interviews, saying: “I believe the methodology makes this a legitimate report that we should take seriously.”

Gashi, editor at Kallxo.com, highlighted the importance of cooperation between civil society and the government in achieving meaningful implementation of the strategy as well as the impact of concrete actions and measures on progressing the situation in Kosovo.

The author of the report, Labiot Leposhtica, noted: “The majority of municipalities, 20 out of 26, reported serious problems in understanding the strategic document (National Strategy). This is a significant issue because the consequences are collateral.”

The 60 participants at the event, 19 of whom were women, included individuals from both central and local government, experts, diplomats, members of religious communities and media representatives.

The report is accessible online here:

AL: Sfidat e mekanizmave të parandalimit të terrorizmit në Kosovë

SRB: Izazovi mehanizma za suzbijanje terorizma na Kosovu

ENG: Challenges of Terrorism Prevention Mechanisms in Kosovo

This activity formed part of the Resilient and Inclusive Community Programme, funded by GCERF.

BIRN BiH Celebrates 20th Birthday by Unveiling New Look

Friends, donors and partners of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina attended its 20th birthday party on December 13 – and were shown the new look of the Detektor portal and other new multimedia content that will be available in 2025.

More than 300 guests from all over the region joined BIRN in Bosnia and Herzegovina as it celebrated the first 20 years of its existence.

Friends and partners but also others who have in some way shaped the work of the Detektor team over the past two decades enjoyed remembering key moments in the development of the organisation.

BIRN BiH Executive Director Denis Dzidic expressed pride in the work of the entire organisation and his own satisfaction over having worked for Detektor in various roles over the past 17 years.

“We are ready to welcome the third decade of Detektor’s existence with a new appearance of all our content. I remember the beginnings, when this was a small team, and today I can proudly say that we are a large organisation with an important mission, whose existence, idea and essence are my motive for its even greater growth,” Dzidic said.

Guests were presented with the new look of the Detektor.ba website, as well as the new logo that the organisation will present to the public from the beginning of 2025.

New trailers and jingles for the monthly episodes of Detektor TV and Detektor Magazine were presented, which will be part of the new appearance of the entire organisation.

In addition, a newsletter was presented as a new communication channel through which all Detektor followers will receive a weekly overview of the most important happenings in Bosnia, the region and the world, concerning all investigative pieces, analyses, multimedia, and other content produced by the outlet as well as a publication on journalists’ work so far.

“This year, we presented two documentaries, Samir Mehic Bowie – Letters from Srebrenica and Justice and Truth. Both deal with the topics of memorialization, transitional justice and remembrance, and this is only the beginning because in the near future we will have premieres of many other films with different themes, which we have been preparing for years,” Dzidic announced.

The celebration was an opportunity for newer members of the team to meet those who have made a huge contribution to the existence of BIRN BiH over previous decades.

Nerma Jelacic, one of the founders of the organisation and president of the BIRN BiH Assembly, addressed the audience, expressing her joy about the growth of the organisation over two decades.

“I am glad to see all these people and how much the organisation has grown. I am happy with all the positive steps forward and I am especially grateful to all those who support BIRN’s work, and I hope they will continue to do so in future,” Jelacic said.

BIRN BiH is a non-governmental media organisation based in Sarajevo, specializing in monitoring and reporting on war crimes, corruption and terrorism trials.

BIRN BiH journalists have become a leading source for the public on transitional justice, the rule of law and extremism, as well as on malign foreign influences, cybersecurity, human and digital rights.

Over 20 years, almost 40,000 articles have been published on the Detektor.ba portal. They include numerous investigative pieces and analyses, documentaries, nearly 190 episodes of monthly TV Justice and Detektor Magazine, and more than ten publications and reports.

All content on the Detektor portal, as well as on its social media channels on YouTube, X (Twitter), Facebook and Instagram, is free of charge.

Detektor Doc About Justice in Ukraine and Bosnia Premieres on BIRN Anniversary

Pravda&Pravda explores the pursuit of justice through the eyes of three Ukrainians who served as peacekeepers in Bosnia’s war – before fighting in their own.

On the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BIRN BiH, a new documentary explores the pursuit of justice in Ukraine, where war is still ongoing, and in Bosnia, three decades since war ended there.

Pravda&Pravda, whose title combines the word justice in Bosnian and truth in Ukrainian, follows the experiences of three Ukrainian peacekeepers who were in Bosnia during the wear there in the 1990s – and are now back in Ukraine, in uniform.

The film can be seen on BIRN BiH YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbRuqYneEZo.

Thirty years ago, the three Ukrainians were part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Bosnia; they did not expect they would have to don uniforms again in their own country.

After the 1992-5 war ended in Bosnia and Herzegovina, they testified before the Hague war crimes tribunal about their experiences in securing President Alija Izetbegovic’s convoy in Sarajevo and about coming face-to-face with Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic in Zepa later on.

When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, they had to go to the front line once again.

In the documentary, authored by Denis Dzidic, they talk about how they perceive justice. The film features a Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Chief State Prosecutor for War Crimes in Ukraine, employees of the War Childhood Museums in Sarajevo and Kyiv, as well as other lawyers with experience of transitional justice processes in Bosnia and now Ukraine.

Detektor will release the film on BIRN BiH’s 20th anniversary.

Detektor journalists Nino Bilajac and Enes Hodzic shot the film with Dzidic during their stay in Ukraine in the summer of 2024.

The film editor is Mirza Mokrovic, the music was done by Adnan Musanovic, the cameramen were Serhii Klymenko and Sergii Rozov in Ukraine, and Mirza Mrso and Anes Asotic in Bosnia.

The making of the film was supported by the Belgian foreign ministry.

As part of this project, BIRN BiH has also published a subpage https://tranzicijskapravda.detektor.ba/en/ containing an overview of the most significant successes and failures in transitional justice processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with lessons that Ukraine can draw from them.

BIRN Montenegro Hosts Launch of Government Open Data Portal

At the portal’s launch in Podgorica, Public Administration Minister calls on ‘all state institutions to proactively publish datasets on it’.

On December 16, BIRN Montenegro hosted the launch of the Montenegrin Government Open Data Portal, followed by a panel discussion on open data in Podgorica.

The event, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Administration, emphasized openness and transparency as essential principles for modern public administration, fostering citizen trust and effective governance.

BIRN Montenegro’s Executive Director, Vuk Maras, highlighted the challenges Montenegro faces in ensuring public policy transparency.

“The Ministry of Public Administration has provided us with a tool, and now it is up to us to use it. It is in everyone’s interest for this portal to become fully operational,” Maras stated.

Minister Marash Dukaj described the new open data portal as a “central point for accessing public-sector data in an open format” and called on all state institutions to proactively publish datasets on it.

The previous portal, launched in 2018, collapsed following a cyberattack on Montenegro’s IT infrastructure in August 2022. After BIRN Montenegro highlighted the unavailability of open data, the Ministry announced on September 27 that a new portal would be launched in December.

The revamped portal includes nearly 400 datasets, categorized by specific areas. The launch also heard the Secretary General of parliament, Aleksandar Klarić, announce that all data related to parliament would now be available in a readable format. He added that citizens would have the ability to visualize and compare data.

Open data refers to public-sector information made freely available online for use and reuse by anyone, enhancing public administration transparency. It is designed to reduce the number of requests for free access to information while increasing the quantity and quality of information published by government institutions.

BIRN Albania Unveils Monitoring Report on Transparency and Accessibility in Health and Education

On December 10, BIRN Albania launched the monitoring report, “Transparency and Accessibility in the Health and Education Systems,” during a roundtable event in Tirana.

The event, organized in partnership with Together for Life, Qëndresa Qytetare, and Destiny Center for Excellence under the European Union-funded SPACE project, highlighted the urgent need for improved transparency and inclusivity in Albania’s health and education sectors.

This report provides a comprehensive evaluation of transparency and accessibility in eight public institutions, including regional health and education directorates. It identifies critical gaps in information availability, institutional accountability, and the inclusion of vulnerable groups, offering actionable recommendations to address these challenges.

Kristina Voko, Executive Director of BIRN Albania, emphasized the significance of the report during her opening remarks: “This publication serves as a vital tool for civil society and policymakers, shedding light on systemic issues while paving the way for reforms that can strengthen public trust and service quality.”

Key findings, presented by Ardita Shehaj, an expert in transparency programs, and Aida Myftaraj from ACER, revealed disparities in proactive transparency and FOI responsiveness across institutions.

The panel also featured Suela Lala, an activist for the rights of people with disabilities, Romina Sefa, an advocate for minority rights, and Xheni Karaj, a prominent LGBTI activist, whose perspectives enriched the discussions by bringing the voices of marginalized communities to the forefront. Their inclusion underscored the necessity of addressing the unique challenges faced by these groups in accessing health and education services.

The roundtable brought together public officials, civil society representatives, and advocacy groups, fostering a robust discussion on implementing the report’s recommendations and improving the accountability of public institutions.

This report marks a pivotal step in empowering civil society, promoting evidence-based advocacy, and advancing good governance in Albania.

Full monitoring report in Albanian can be downloaded here.

Full monitoring report in English can be downloaded here.