The recent attack in the heart of Istanbul brought the issue of political violence in Turkey back to the fore, but also dramatically exposed the limitations on access to free information in the country
New revelations reopen the surveillance scandal in Greece: dozens of journalists, politicians, and entrepreneurs were targeted by secret services and spyware. Who gave the orders?
In the early elections on Sunday 2 October in Bulgaria, GERB, the party of former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, is back as the leading political force in the country with 25% of the votes. However, the difficulties remain and it is not certain that parliament will be able to express a solid majority
Prohibitions and threats failed to stop Belgrade's Europride and its colourful parade through the streets of the capital. However, there were also accidents, hate speech, and violence. The road to full realisation of LGBT rights in Serbia remains an uphill one
A newborn child stolen by deception from his mother, in the hospital, and then sold to an Italian family. He is one of the many children involved in a network of illegal adoptions in Armenia
For almost two years, the Telecommunications and Information Technology Authority, a Turkish ministerial body, has been requesting the metadata of all their customers' traffic from Internet service providers. This mass surveillance operation was revealed by an investigation by journalist Dogu Eroglu
On 19 July, after eight years of waiting, Albania finally participated in the first intergovernmental conference as a candidate country for the European Union. Thus the accession negotiation process begins, but unresolved bilateral issues with Greece could already get in the way
On June 13 the Albanian government committed to establishing a National Park dedicated to the Vjosa, the last major European river free from embankments and dams. The decision follows almost ten years of international mobilisation
As Greece loses 38 positions in the annual Reporters Without Borders ranking compared to 2021, the public learns about the surveillance of investigative journalist Thanasis Koukakis. The spyware used is called Predator and it is still unclear who is behind it
After twenty years of waiting, North Macedonia has finally managed to complete the population census. The controversies that had slowed down the process, however, have not subsided even after the presentation of the results
A building designed to celebrate a community that was an important component of the city fabric. And that is why it was set on fire in 1920 by those who wanted to paint Trieste as an exclusively Italian city. Now the Narodni dom has been returned to the Slovenian community
The aggression against Ukraine has generated a series of so far unforeseeable consequences, particularly in the countries of the former Soviet bloc. Georgia is experiencing an acceleration of processes that were underway but were not on the agenda, including the request for EU candidacy
On 17 January, Turkish President Erdogan visited Albania. The two countries enjoy a close relationship but the delayed common process toward EU membership and human rights concerns on Gulen’s movement repression cast a shadow on it
The pandemic has dramatically affected the life of 28-year old Ivona and many other young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The desire to work, the search for civil rights, and the spectre of emigration: their gaze on the future
Bulgaria has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially at the expense of young students. The disparities have been particularly apparent in the more fragile communities, such as the Roma and Turkish ones
In Serbia, the environmental issue is becoming an increasingly important social and political matter. Protests against some controversial laws are bringing numerous citizens and environmental associations to demonstrate in various cities
The case of the Chinese company Linglong in Zrenjanin exposes the terrible exploitation of workers and the inhumane conditions in which they live. The government tries to downplay the scandal, but this is not the first time that foreign investment has been accompanied by the exploitation of workers
A strong new wave of Covid-19 is plaguing Armenia. The government approves new restrictions and considers the possibility of introducing a pass to enter restaurants and attend concerts
This time the violence of the Croatian police against migrants is well documented and unequivocal, so much so that the police themselves are forced to admit its veracity. However, the Minister of the Interior ignores the matter. The EU expresses concern, but its inaction makes it complicit
The Zagreb court applied temporary and preventive censorship against the H-Alter portal and journalist Jelena Jindra, effectively banning the publication and writing of further articles on the Municipal Children and Youth Protection Polyclinic and its director. Toni Gabric, chief editor of H-Alter, explains this unprecedented decision
Twitter recently flagged some Serbian outlets as "government-affiliated news media". Instead of opening a debate on the decision, the government and President Vucic have embarked on yet another smear campaign against non-aligned media
An illegal adoption system was uncovered in Armenia in 2019. Many vulnerable women were misled and persuaded to give up their children, who were later adopted by foreigners.Today, many women are looking for those children
The European Court of Human Rights condemned Bulgaria for the 2016 extradition of a Turkish journalist, hastily handed over to the Turkish authorities who accused him of being part of the Fehtullah Gülen movement, in violation of national and international rules
Unprecedented violence in Georgia in the week dedicated to raising awareness on LGBT rights. An investigation has started on the death of a cameraman, who had been violently beaten like dozens of colleagues
During 2020, the preparatory work began for what should be one of the most important infrastructure projects in Georgia's history: the Namakhvani dams. Local associations and communities report a tragic environmental impact and a significant safety risk
With a shaky government and without a solid majority in parliament, Prime Minister Jansa keeps adding fuel to the fire, conceding nothing to allies and opponents
Until a month ago, just a few thousand people had been vaccinated in Armenia. After a statement by Prime Minister Pashinyan, the campaign finally took off, but the issue remains highly divisive in the country
Last Sunday, the second round of the Croatian administrative elections took a radical turn: for the first time in the last twenty years, Zagreb will be led by a 40-year-old mayor, raised as an activist in the streets of the capital. Significant changes also in other cities
Turkish President Erdogan seems ready to launch the "crazy" project of Kanal Istanbul – the artificial canal that should "double" the Bosphorus – despite concerns about the possible environmental and geopolitical impact. The report by our correspondent
Bayram Mammadov was a young Azerbaijani activist who was unjustly imprisoned in 2016 and then released on presidential amnesty. Since 2020 he had been in Istanbul for his studies. On May 2 he was found dead in the Turkish city. His story
