Authorities are using the 2022 law to silence critical voices – while a newly adopted social media law poses further threats to free speech.

Ekrem Imamoglu’s chances of contesting the Turkish presidency look less likely after a court rejected his appeal to overturn an earlier ruling that revoked his university diploma.

The opposition sees the desertion of some of its mayors and councillors to join Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AKP as part of a government strategy aimed at weakening local resistance and consolidating power.

BIRN-supported exhibition showcases how Bosnia's capital kept culture alive amid the hardships of the 1992-95 siege.

The Turkish Interior Ministry says almost a million stray animals - mostly dogs - have been ‘collected’ from the streets in the past year, but the fate of the animals is unknown.

Legislation prohibits social media companies from offering services to under-15s, while a new law is also being drafted requiring identification verification for all Turkish social media users.

New report says journalists’ safety is under ‘sustained pressure’ in Europe – with Turkey, Serbia and Bulgaria listed among the worst offenders.

Montenegro is to end its visa-free regime for Turkish citizens in line with EU requests and following a violent incident involving Turkish citizens, whose number in the country has risen in recent years.

Press freedom advocate Flutura Kusari says the growing use of aggressive lawsuits to intimidate and silence journalists demands a tougher response from the European Union.

The latest China Index analysis, published by a civil society network that includes BIRN, suggests that Beijing’s influence declined in most of the Balkans in 2024, with only Bosnia and Herzegovina bucking that trend.