Archive for the month of November 2010

Macedonians against name change

22 Nov, 2010 Balkanblog

According to a Gallup survey reported by MIA, 63% of interviewed citizens of Macedonia were against changing the name of the Republic of Macedonia, while 31% said they were in favor of the change which would accelerate the process of EU and NATO integration. According to the same survey, 82% of Macedonians are against the name change, while 77% of Albanians living in the country are in favor of it believing it would remove the main obstacle on the country's way to the EU and NATO.

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EUFOR mission in Bosnia extended until 2011

19 Nov, 2010 Balkanblog

The UN Security Council decided to extend the mandate of EUFOR in Bosnia-Heregovina until November 18, 2011. The Council said that extending the mission would ensure continued compliance with the Dayton Peace Accord.

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EULEX unhappy that alleged suspects are running in Kosovo elections

14 Nov, 2010 Balkanblog

Andy Sparkes, deputy head of EULEX, said that two Kosovo politicians that are running for office, are under investigation by EULEX in an organ trafficking case. Both are from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, the party of Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. One of them is transportation minister Fatmir Limaj. Sparkes said it would be "more honorable, and better for the reputation of Kosovo" if they do not run for office while under investigation. However, several party officials underlined that a person is innocent until proven guilty.

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Kosovo medics accused of trafficking kidneys

14 Nov, 2010 Balkanblog

EULEX prosecutor Jonathan Ratel has accused seven people, including doctors and a health official, of trafficking kidneys through the Medicus clinic in Pristina in 2008. Interpol arrest warrants have also been issued for a Turkish doctor, Yusuf Sonmez, and Israeli Moshe Harel. The suspects are accused of trafficking in human organs, organized crime, unlawful exercise of medical activities and abusing official authority.

The prosecution claims that one of the five Kosovo citizens, surgeon Lutfi Dervishi “acted as leader” of the criminal group along with Sonmez and Harel.

Some 20 foreign nationals "were recruited with false promises of payments" in 2008. Donors were promised up to 14,500 euros while recipients were required to pay between 80,000 and 100,000 euros. Donors came from Moldova, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkey and lived in "poverty or acute financial distress".

Kosovo has been haunted by another alleged case of organ-trafficking dating back to the war in 1999. In that case, which has never been proven, Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) militants allegedly trafficked the organs of Serb captives they later killed.

Source: BBC, B92.

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UN Security Council urges Serbia and Kosovo to bridge differences

12 Nov, 2010 Balkanblog

During the 6422nd meeting of the UN Security Council, UNMIK chief Lamberto Zannier expressed his concern that after the World Court voiced its opinion, Kosovo has grown uneasy with UNMIK cooperation. He was concerned with a media campaign blaming UNMIK staff members for a lack of progress in northern Mitrovica.

Zannier also mentioned that since elections in Kosovo were not going to be held under resolution 1244 Serbia could not be expected to encourage participation by Serb citizens in Kosovo.

The Security Council affirmed the need for dialog between Serbia and Kosovo.

Source: UN Security Council, Relief Web.

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New Bosnian presidency

10 Nov, 2010 Balkanblog

The newly elected members of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina took their oath of office in Sarajevo. Representing Serbs, Croats and Muslims, the new members are Nebojsa Radmanovic, Željko Komsic and Bakir Izetbegovic.

Source: B92.

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Bosnia acquits former PM Gojko Klickovic

6 Nov, 2010 Balkanblog

Bosnia's war crimes court acquitted former Bosnian Serb prime minister Gojko Klickovic — along with suspects Mladen Drljaca and Jovan Ostojic due insufficient evidence. The three were accused of taking part in the organized expulsion and imprisonment of non-Serbs in northwest Bosnia during the 1992-95 war.

Klickovic was the Bosnian prime minister until 1998, when he was charged. He fled to Serbia bus was arrested in 2006 and extradited back to Bosnia in 2007.

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Karadzic trial postponed

6 Nov, 2010 Balkanblog

The trial of Karadzic in The Hague was postponed for one month to allow Karadzic to review documents that were recently disclosed. It involves some 14,000 pages that were only disclosed by the prosecution by the end of October 2010. The documents were discovered on a computer seized in 2009, belonging to former Bosnian Serb Army (VRS) intelligence officer Dragomir Pecanac. Presiding judge O-Gon Kwon rebuked prosecutors for repeatedly disclosing evidence too late to Karadzic.

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Serbian president apologizes in Vukovar

6 Nov, 2010 Balkanblog

Serbian president Boris Tadic and Croation president Ivo Josipovic placed wreaths to honor Croat victims at a memorial in Ovcara, near Vukovar. They also visited the town of Paulin Dvor. Both towns saw executions of prisoners and civilians during the war in 1991. "I am here to once again offer words of apology, to express regret and create a possibility for Serbs and Croats, Serbia and Croatia, to turn a new page of history," Tadic said.

Source: B92.

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