Category: News and Events

BIRN BiH and Norwegian government continue cooperation

BIRN BIH is honored to announce that Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to continue its support to our Justice Programme by the end of 2013.

BIRN BiH’s Justice Programme has had support of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs since the early days of the project in 2005

Launched in early 2005, BIRN-BiH’s justice programme aims to bridge the gap between judicial institutions, security organisations, local government and the citizens of BiH through timely, objective and reliable reporting on past crimes and the institutions and mechanisms for dealing with them.

Having identified the launch of a local War Crimes Chamber (WCC) as an historical opportunity to tackle what we see as the main stumbling-block for all major political, social and economic issues affecting the country, we have sought to rally media and civil society to engage in and support the delivery of information about war crimes related justice.

In the first two years of the programme, we trained ‘beat reporters’ from all the main print and electronic media outlets to monitor domestic prosecution of war crimes as well as educated and motivated civil society groups around the country to get involved and support war crimes related justice.

We facilitated a dialogue and cooperation between state and court officials, civil society and the BiH media and created specialised news portal Justice Report dedicated to war crimes trials in BiH. Moreover, in 2007 the online production of Justice Report was supplemented by an audio programme Radio Justice in order to increase the audience of the project.

Most recently, in 2010, we successfully launched a TV programme TV Justice that has been also shown on some main national TV stations.

In depths analysis, news and investigations done by BIRN BIH, made a huge impact in the whole society, but influence the process it self acting critical in some moments and offering insight to the public about what is going on behind closed doors of the court room or offices of local and international officials in the country.

Learning from this experience, BIRN recently has established a broader editorial team to cover so called ‘lower’ courts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but is also looking to ensure visibility for the regional war crimes justice. New team will not only cover issues related to trails, but to the whole spectrum of transitional justice.

 

Microsoft Grant Approved

Microsoft has made a donation of software to the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, to support the network’s regional Journalism and Editing project.

The software contribution will enable BIRN Network Members to more easily carry out their daily reporting, both in the office and on the field, together with easing communication and collaboration.

In this way Microsoft is supporting BIRN’s mission to build and strengthen its interconnected cadre of journalists across the Balkans, probing and analysing key transition issues and the process of European integration for policy-makers and the public at large.

 

Domestic violence case addressed by BIRN is returned for retrial

In July 2011, “Justice in Kosovo” TV Programme addressed the case of a woman mistreated, beaten and intimidated by her ex husband. The victim had sought assistance from the police and the prosecutor’s office, resulting in the detention of the suspect, but who was released after just two days.

BIRN addressed this case and the lack of professionalism and seriousness that cases of domestic violence get by the institutions, namely the police and prosecution. It was only following BIRN’s monitoring of the case and research highlighted in “Justice in Kosovo” TV programme that the court and the prosecutor’s office put serious efforts into it.

The hearings were surrounded by many irregularities, some including allegations against the prosecutor, Zejnije Kela, who allegedly committed several professional and ethical violations in this case. After BIRN’s appeal sent to the Disciplinary Office of Prosecution against Mrs. Kela, the authority undertook disciplinary measures, requesting the Kosovo Prosecution Council to temporarily suspend her as prosecutor.

The judgment was reissued by the judge one week later, when BIRN’s court monitor noticed that one of the charges had not been mentioned in that judgment, according to which the defendant was sentenced to seven months of imprisonment, and an 800 euro fine. His detention was continued until the judge issues a final judgment regarding the case.

 

BIRN’s Kingdom of Coal Documentary Honoured

The “Kingdom of Coal” is a documentary produced by BIRN and Crossing bridges, which investigates the economic, health and environmental costs of coal, while exploring the potential for alternative energy in Kosovo.

In the most recent International Documentary and Short Film Festival, DOKUFEST, “Kingdom of Coal” was awarded the best film prize in the category for the environment, GreenDoc. Being the most prominent regional documentary film festival, exclusively dedicated to documentary films, DOKUFEST is organized in August in the picturesque and historical town of Prizren, which has already gained an international and regional reputation for its programme and high attendance.

Competing with other international films dealing with environmental issues, “Kingdom of Coal” was considered by the festival’s international jury to be a significant film for the region. The “Kingdom of Coal” was broadcast in Life in Kosovo show on September 01, 2011.

 

Digging Deeper reprint and Serbian translation

BIRN’s investigative journalism guide “Digging Deeper”, written by Sheila Coronel, director of the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism and professor at Columbia University, New York, has been reprinted in English in response to high demand.

The book will be available for sale via BalkanInsight.com and through BIRN’s Belgrade office. If you require further information regarding the book’s availability, please contact [email protected].

The handbook reprint was made possible thanks to Erste Bank in Serbia.

The Serbian version of the book is currently being prepared. The handbook in Serbian, entitled “Iza kulisa”, is to be distributed to universities across Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro.

 

Second BIRN Summer School of Investigative Reporting

This year’s second annual BIRN Summer School took place in the Croatian resort of Opatija from 21st to 27th August 2011. As was the case last year, BIRN again gathered leading investigative journalists and trainers at the Summer School, as well as experienced journalists and trainees from the Balkans and elsewhere.

Trainers and leading journalists, like Sheila Coronel, Nick Davies, Helena Bengtsson, Paul Radu, Helen Darbishire, Drew Sullivan, Paul Bradshaw, Randall Joyce and more, held sessions during the week-long training course. The main daily topics addressed the fundamentals of investigative reporting, paper trails, investigative interviews and how to investigate organized crime and corruption.

“We are more than pleased to have well-known journalists for trainers and high quality attendees. All of them worked perfectly as a team,” said Jelena Cosic, BIRN Summer School project coordinator.

Under a new format introduced as of this year, participants were divided into groups and on the last day the groups presented the story ideas they had been working on since the beginning of the school. Five of the seven teams gained funding from SCOOP, a Danish organisation for investigative journalists.

The final day saw BIRN regional director Gordana Igric award certificates during a night cruise through the beautiful Kvarner Bay, thereby officially drawing a close to the 2011 Summer School.

 

The establishment of the Consultative Council for Justice is halted

In late April 2011, the Government of Kosovo issued a decision on the establishment of the Consultative Council for Justice, as an advisory body to the government. This decision raised a number of reactions among lawyers and legal experts. Subsequently, in July 2011, “Justice in Kosovo” TV programme devoted a full episode to analysing the creation of this body. The TV programme looked into whether the decision was unconstitutional, including opinions and legal expertise from representatives of the Constitutional Court, civil society and independent lawyers.

With the exception of institutional representatives, the majority of those consulted believed the decision to be unconstitutional, particularly Article 9 of this decision, which is controversial, as it requires Kosovo’s judicial institutions to pass draft legislation through this body first. Since this is considered to be as a direct interference of the government to the judicial system, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the Kosovo Assembly reopened debate on the decision to establish the Consultative Council of Justice.

 Due to the refusal of key institutions—such as the Supreme Court and the Court Council—to send representatives in the Consultative Council of Justice, it will not achieve the necessary quorum to function as an authority.

Life in Kosovo discusses the draft laws for the historical centre of Prizren and Hoca e Madhe?

This Thursday, Life in Kosovo discusses the draft laws for Hoca e Madhe and the historic centre of Prizren, which aim to preserve the cultural and historical values of these places.

Is there still the need for a special law to regulate cultural heritage in these places? Can cultural heritage be preserved and respected without laws? What are the seven other places mentioned in the context of these draft laws? Who will be part of the Monitoring and Implementation Council that is foreseen to be formed?

To discuss these and other arguments for and against the law, Jeta Xharra has invited:

Pieter Feith, head of the International Civilian Office;
Engjëllushe Morina, from the Kosovar Stability Initiative;
Njazi Kryeziu, from the municipal assembly of Prizren;
Smajl Latifi, mayor of the Rahovec municipality.

 

BIRN will also broadcast a report by the journalist Muhamet Hajrullahu, showing the opinion and thoughts of the civil society, citizens of Rahovec and the local Serbs of the village Hoce e Madhe in Rahovec.

Life in Kosovo discusses religious education

Life in Kosovo will broadcast a debate on the introduction of religious education in public schools, the calls to allow girls to wear headscarves in public institutions and the request for the construction of a new mosque in Prishtina.

Questions discussed will include: Is religion being politicised? How can this be prevented, so that it can be freely discussed at the institutional level? What are the arguments for and against introducing religious education as a subject in public schools? Should headscarves be allowed in public institutions? Does the refusal of such requests lead to religious radicalism?

 

To discuss these questions and attitudes in Kosovo’s society about relevant recent public cases, journalist Muhamet Hajrullahu has invited the following to the studio:

 

Sabri Bajgora, the head imam from the Islamic Community of Kosovo;
Gëzim Kelmendi, a Kosovo Assembly deputy from the Justice Party;
Ismajl Hasani, a sociologist of religion;
Teuta Sahatqija, a Kosovo Assembly deputy from the Democratic League of Kosovo;
Halil Matoshi, a political analyst; and
Blerim Latifi, a lecturer of political philosophy at the University of Prishtina and an adviser to the prime minister.

 

At the end of the show, BIRN will broadcast the ‘Youth in Kosovo’ section.