Novak Stjepanovic was sentenced to 13 years in prison in Serbia for war crimes in Bosnia in 1992, but he had already skipped the country to join Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, a BIRN ...

Both progressive Hungarian Jews and mainstream Jewish leaders are raising concerns about Trump’s appointment of Ben Landa to serve as the US ambassador to Hungary. With the departure last week of ...

Mayor Erion Veliaj looks on course to continue governing the city from his jail cell – after the Constitutional Court annulled his dismissal and PM Edi Rama said he will not call early elections in ...

Women's rights groups hailed adoption of the new equality law as a historic move – while the opposition Democratic Party and 'pro-family' groups called it an attack on traditional values. Albanian ...

MTV is shutting down its European music video channels, which were once symbols of freedom for many young people in the Balkans and the former Eastern Bloc. Lida Hujic had a front-row seat when the ...

Ruling centre-right VMRO DPMNE party hails landslide victory over its rivals in Sunday’s local elections, coming first in 53 of the country’s 81 municipalities. North Macedonia’s Prime Minister and ...

Greek police busted a Pakistani human trafficking group exploiting Nepalese agricultural migrant workers who were allegedly forced into debt, given exhausting tasks, threatened and sometimes ...

Branded ‘usurpers’ by some, mayors in four Serb-majority municipalities in north Kosovo – all from the ranks of ethnic Albanian parties - are set to leave office following October 12 local elections, ...

With most votes counted, the main pro-Western party looks set to govern Moldova for a second consecutive term with a solid majority – and with the clear aim of steering Moldova into the EU fold.

From the BIRN archives: After the death of nationalist leader Milosevic in 2006 while he was on trial for war crimes, Gordana Igric explained how he was not the only man responsible for the malign ...

Obstacles to Vladimir Plahotniuc’s extradition to Moldova to face trial over the $1 billion ‘theft of the century’ appear to have been lifted, meaning he could be transferred within days. Vladimir ...

Amid discontent over the frequent public display of World War II-era Ustasa symbols and salutes, Croatia's centre-left opposition has called for new penalties - but with exceptions that have sparked ...