Human rights

Armenia and domestic violence: "If he beats you, he loves you"

03/09/2019 -  Armine Avetysian Yerevan

Domestic violence in Armenia is unfortunately still socially accepted. Fortunately, however, institutions are starting to address the problem. The story of Gayane

Letter to Europe

26/08/2019 -  Ilija Trojanow

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

Women journalists and online harassment: the resistance in Bosnia

22/08/2019 -  Paola Rosà

A daily occurrence in Balkan newsrooms and a risk factor for press freedom according to international bodies, online harassment against women in the media is on the rise everywhere

Croatia, a controversial law on citizenship

21/08/2019 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

The Zagreb government is determined to soften the requirements for obtaining Croatian citizenship, with an eye on intercepting the diaspora. But there are those who feel discriminated against: the case of Milan Škorić and the 5,000 without nationality

Crimea: the resistance of the Tatars

20/08/2019 -  Martina Napolitano

Following the Russian occupation of Crimea, the Tatar community is under great pressure. An analysis of the situation through historical digressions and a meeting with the Tatar representatives recently elected in the Ukrainian parliament

The Netherlands and Srebrenica, limited liability

25/07/2019 -  Alfredo Sasso

Disappointment and anger among the victims' associations for the ruling of the Dutch Supreme Court on the Srebrenica events of July 1995. The court has ruled that the state had "a very limited responsibility" for the death of about 350 Bosnian Muslim men

Are you in your thirties? Too old to find a job

19/07/2019 -  Armine Avetysian Yerevan

Age discrimination in Armenia's labour market is a serious problem, as witnessed by Karine, Karen and Anna. However, a bill that would change the situation is being discussed in the National Assembly

Turkish think-tank report escalates harassment of journalists

10/07/2019

OBC Transeuropa and 20 other human rights and freedom of expression organisations condemn a Turkish pro-government think-tank’s report that accuses leading international media of being biased against the government and singles out their correspondents for attack. The organisations regard the report as a dangerous escalation in the harassment of journalists.

Srebrenica: dehumanising the Other

10/07/2019 -  Dunja Mijatović

Srebrenica genocide did not happen by accident and began well before its full horror became visible. It took shape with public discourse that dehumanised the Other

Bosnia and Herzegovina, the right to the rule of law

15/07/2019 -  Alfredo Sasso Sarajevo

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

North Macedonia, Skopje's first Pride

28/06/2019 -  Ilcho Cvetanoski Skopje

Tomorrow Skopje is holding its first Pride, with the support of important institutional representatives. A step forward for the rights of the Northern Macedonia's LGTBI community, in a historically difficult context

Kyiv Pride: rainbow march between diversity and police

"It was the celebration that we wanted, and it had to be, because – the organisers reiterated – freedom is in our tradition". The 2019 edition of Kyiv Pride closes with about 8,000 estimated participants – almost twice than in 2018 – and without the violence that had characterised the previous editions. A photo story by Monica Ellena

Dejan Jović, an alarm call for Croatian society

24/06/2019 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

What is the situation of the Serbian minority in Croatia? We talked about it with Dejan Jović, university professor and recent candidate in the European elections

Ukraine: the new language law, Porošenko's last act

05/06/2019 -  Martina Napolitano

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

The return

18/06/2019

Gjimi left his mountains as a boy, along with his parents. But both in Tirana and away from Albania he has only found hard work and exploitation. And he decided, with courage, to return to his homeland

“Saturday Mothers” of Turkey: in the pursuit of justice

02/04/2019 -  Burcu Karakaş Istanbul

Since 1995, the relatives of numerous "desaparecidos", who disappeared during the Kurdish conflict in Turkey, ask for justice and truth in Galatasaray Square. Last summer sit-ins were banned, but their struggle continues

How gender balanced will the next European Parliament be?

26/03/2019 -  Gina Pavone

Will parties run enough women, and will they be placed in electable positions on electoral lists? Besides electoral systems, determination and concrete action are required to incentivise female representation. Let’s take a look at where we are now, with the numbers in hand

Karadžić, life imprisonment for the "good neighbour"

22/03/2019 -  Alfredo Sasso

On Wednesday, the MICT (Residual Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals) condemned on appeal the former leader of Bosnian Serbs during the war of the 1990s to life imprisonment. While Karadžić will serve the sentence in a state for now unknown, his ideas unfortunately continue to circulate

Chechnya: taxis, Islam and independence

13/03/2019 -  Marat Iliyasov

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 and Herzegovina, rivers under siege

11/03/2019 -  Marco Ranocchiari

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

Afghan immigrants in Turkey, a challenging life

28/02/2019 -  Burcu Karakaş Istanbul

Afghans represent Turkey's largest community of irregular migrants, still growing despite forced repatriations, denied rights, and difficult living conditions

Serbia: the prime minister's child

01/03/2019 -  Antonela Riha Belgrade

The fact that the Serbian prime minister recently had a child from her partner does not make her legally a parent. In fact, Serbia lacks a law on same-sex marriages. Could this be the chance?

Srebrenica, revisionist siege

01/03/2019 -  Alfredo Sasso

Republika Srpska has appointed two new international commissions tasked with establishing the crimes committed in Srebrenica and those committed against the Serbian population in Sarajevo. A group of academics and various analysts highlight its revisionist intentions

Albania, it had to happen sooner or later

30/01/2019 -  Nicola Pedrazzi

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

Dossier: Disinformation

11/01/2019 -  Niccolò Caranti - Fazıla Mat

"Fake news" or disinformation is one of the most pressing issues of our times. Building on the materials of the Resource Centre on Press and Media Freedom in Europe, OBCT devoted its latest special dossier to this topic

Croatia, a thousand lawsuits against journalists

18/01/2019 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

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

Azerbaijan, the Huseynov’s case

15/01/2019 -  Arzu Geybullayeva

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

Arzu Abdullayeva: Peace agent between Azerbaijan and Armenia

02/01/2019 -  Gular MehdizadeSabina AbubekirovaAnonymous

Arzu Abdullayeva has faced threats, insults and even violent demonstrations because of his peace activism between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But she never gave up

The fragility of Syrian refugee women in Turkey

24/12/2018 -  Burcu Karakaş

Violence, exploitation, marginalisation: these are the challenges of a difficult everyday life for many Syrian refugee women in Turkey

Europe has a shortage of doctors

17/12/2018 -  Déborah Berthier

A surge in retirements, lack of new doctors in training, emigration to countries with better working conditions… by 2020, Europe could be facing a shortage of 230,000 doctors.