Civil society

According to the decision in the third hearing in the case Gezi Park, Osman Kavala has to remain behind bars. OBCT joins other international organisations to call for his release. The full text of the statement

A walk in the centre of Rijeka on the centenary of D'Annunzio's enterprise: politics, the work of historians, memory, and democracy

For three days our partners of ECPMF joined 7 other freedom of expression organisations on a joint mission to Turkey, led by the International Press Insitute. Despite some glimmers of hope, press freedom in the country remains in crisis. Here the final statement, released on 13^th September

Less than two months after acquittal in the first instance, two journalists and an activist find themselves accused of "terrorist propaganda": Erol Önderoğlu, Ahmet Nesin, and Şebnem Korur Fincancı will have to face the appeal trial

In 2008, the first LGBT public initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina suffered a harsh aggression which caused 15 injured and the cancellation of the event. On September 8^th, the opportunity is coming to overcome this trauma, with the country's first Pride

Every year, in Ptuj, Slovenia, a poet writes a "letter to Europe". This year it is signed by Ilija Trojanow, writer, translator and publisher

Concerns persist over the approval of the new package of amendments aimed at modifying two important laws on the Albanian media, the so-called "anti-defamation package"

The deaths of Dženan and David are just some of the "silenced cases", the many episodes of bad justice that have shaken Bosnia and Herzegovina in recent years. Hence arose one of the few mobilisations capable of crossing the administrative and so-called "ethnic" borders of the country after the war

In several cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from May 28th to June 2nd, an important history festival was held which brought together about 100 historians from the region. This year, however, the History Fest has become a case of ethno-political tension

Montenegro remains plagued by major issues of crime and corruption, which directly involve the ruling elite. An interview with Dejan Milovac, deputy director of the MANS NGO

Before leaving the presidential chair to the newly elected Volodymyr Zelensky, Petro Porošenko signed a new language law – one that puts minority rights under strong pressure

Professors dismissed without warning, bribes paid to see the contracts reconfirmed... The State University of Dagestan is certainly not in good health. But now, with great courage, some students are trying to make a change

Gresa Hasa, an Albanian activist of the Lëvizja Për Universitetin movement, explains why she feels European. Europe is, in her opinion, a moral concept rather than a geographical one

Always regarded as an important economic resource, today mass tourism risks creating serious imbalances in Croatia. To address them, someone started thinking to "Proceed with care"

Online disinformation is a complex phenomenon that can become extremely harmful to society. As we are faced with the power of technology giants, short-term policies, and implications for freedom of expression, it is crucial to promote critical thinking, media literacy, and reflection on these issues in all age groups

As Croatia approaches the EU Council presidency semester in January 2020, Zagreb registers a negative record: it is the only European country where public TV sues its own employees

Soon the Chechen women will be able to take taxis driven by women and only for women. An initiative sponsored by an Arab investment fund that caused very different reactions

Bosnia Herzegovina and its citizens' initiatives in defense of its natural resources and waterways

In Croatia in recent months there have been numerous cases of violence against minorities, racism, incitement to hatred. And minors where involved

Meaningful engagement with de facto states and consistent, patient support for constructive approaches as they emerge from the region are the way to go for the EU and other international actors in the coming months

A rush of vitality for Albania's society and future. An interview with Gresa Hasa, an activist of the student movement that is giving the Albanian government a hard time

The new frontier for Armenian English teachers seems to be China: the possibility of working at higher salaries attracts more and more workers

There are over a thousand ongoing trials against journalists or Croatian media, and the list is not complete. The complaint of the Association of Croatian Journalists

A blogger’s plea for justice shakes the world, but not official Baku

Why are birth rates much higher than the Russian average in Chechnya and in other North Caucasus republics?

Between 2 and 4 December, Sarajevo was the most polluted capital in the world, at least according to data provided by US embassies, that constantly monitor the environmental situation of the cities where they are based

In front of the refusal by the Albanian government to abolish the law on higher education, after two weeks of peaceful demonstrations, students have opted for an escalation of their protests

The increase of tuition fees, low quality of teaching, and lack of adequate infrastructures in public universities have led to widespread student protests in Tirana and other university towns in Albania

With the crisis, pressure on subsoil resources, minerals and hydrocarbons has increased in Greece. In Epirus and other regions local communities, worried about the long-term effects on the environment and quality of life, decided to react

The situation of members of the LGBT community in Armenia is dramatic. And many of them, not to suffer the social stigma and sometimes even physical violence, choose not to reveal their sexual identity