Death threats in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Journalists must be free to report and investigate cases without fear of pressure or death threats.

Keeping the ‘bad’ guys out

Lustration has become a popular word in South East Europe

Newspaper banned from reporting on case

A temporary court injunction has been slapped on Slovene daily newspaper Dnevnik, preventing it from reporting on an alleged corruption controversy.

Deep concern about Moldova media incidents

Media representatives are frequently being prevented by the Moldovan authorities from reporting freely, especially following parliamentary elections in April this year.

Why no arrest of Croatian journalist’s attackers?

More than one year after the brutal assault on Dusan Miljus, an investigative reporter for the Croatian daily newspaper Jutarnji List, his attackers are yet to be arrested.

Priest’s threat against journalist condemned

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) strongly condemns the threat made by Serbian Orthodox priest Vlastimir Zlatic against the Serbian journalist Zoran Marjanovic, correspondent for the newspapers Kurir and Glas Javnost, in the village of Silopaj, near Gornji Milanovac, Serbia.

Fining of Serbian journalists condemned

The South East Europe Media Organisation strongly condemns the excessive fine handed down by the court in Nis, Serbia, in a defamation case against Dragana Kocic and Timosenko Milosavljevic

Press association slams Moldovan authorities for barring journalists

Authorities in Moldova refuse entry to a group of journalists, raising the hackles of a prominent media watch organisation.

Call for EU to prioritise press freedom in membership talks with Turkey

International Press Institute expresses concern about verbal attacks on news organisations and legal hurdles to freedom of expression in Turkey

Concern over attack on Athens TV station

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South Eastern Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is deeply concerned over the attack on private television station TV Alter in Athens, Greece, on February 17.

Concern about 'continuous' attacks on media in Greece

South East Europe Media Organisation calls for safe working environment for journalists and media outlets in Greece

Media freedom group 'concerned' about incidents in Serbia

South East Europe Media Organisation lists cases of direct pressure on journalists

Media watchdog protests against politician's insult against Serbian news agency

South East Europe Media Organisation writes to president of Republika Srpska after politician says Beta accepts foreign money to publish falsehoods

The presidencies

Mesmerised by the prospect of Barack Obama becoming US president on January 20, many may pay scant attention to other changes of presidency, as the Czech Republic takes the helm of the EU, Greece chairs the OSCE and Italy heads the G8

As Israel strengthened its offensive against Hamas to cut off at source the terrorist attacks against it, it was announced that Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas was to meet French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Perhaps Abbas believed, to paraphrase Henry Kissinger, that if he wanted to call Europe, he had to speak to Sarkozy.

Journalists face increased threats and harassment in South East Europe, says media freedom watchdog

A string of threats issued against journalists in South East Europe, threats rendered particularly ominous by violent attacks on journalists throughout 2008, are causing concern for the Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO).

South Eastern Europe businesses urged to participate in regional projects

Businesses in South Eastern Europe should be more strongly engaged in trans-national development projects, Regional Co-operation Council (RCC) secretary-general Hido Biscevic said at a meeting in Istanbul on October 30 2008.

Athens and Skopje squabble after Greece detains journalists

Greece has accused Macedonia of distorting the truth about an October 13 incident in which four Macedonian journalists were detained near a protest in northern Greece against military exercises in the area.

TO THE EDITOR: Concern about media freedom in South Eastern Europe

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South Eastern Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is concerned about several recent developments in the SEEMO region's media environment.

MANAGER PROFILE: Developing DIVERSITY

Tony Buckby, director of the British Council, praises Bulgarians for their "warmth" and "generosity". Yet he wastes little time in addressing areas where he believes there's room for improvement. "I read an interesting economic study about inter-cultural dialogue in Europe. Bulgaria came very low down - indeed at the bottom - in terms of what could be described as its cosmopolitan mindset, its attitude to inter-cultural dialogue and its willingness to engage with other cultures. I believe that Bulgaria has a lot of catching up to do in the field of public administration and in terms of its openness to cultural diversity," he says in an interview with The Sofia Echo.

READING ROOM: A truck tale

Or a two-truck tale, to be precise. Spasena Baramova of The Sofia Echo talks to adventure travellers from The World by Road expedition while they are passing through Sofia as part of their around the world trip.

In February 2007, two friends, driven by their everlasting desire for travel and adventure, left their home in Denver, Colorado, to embark on a journey of a lifetime. Steve Shoppman (28) and Steve Bouey (30) set off to circle the globe driving their two Toyota trucks. Their passion to see as much of the world as possible and to share what they saw with as many people as possible led them to the idea of creating the

MANAGER PROFILE: Divine water

Devin is among the most popular and well-known Bulgarian brands. Devin AD was founded in 1992 as a limited liability company part-owned by the Municipality of Devin (near Smolyan, in southern Bulgaria). It became a joint stock company in 1999 with 100 per cent private capital. In 2006 it was purchased by Austrian investment fund Soravia Equity. Devin's products include mineral water, spring water, carbonated and

TO THE EDITOR: Press freedom violations

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is deeply concerned about the worsening situation for journalists in the South Eastern European (SEE) region. SEEMO is alarmed at the activities of the Croatian police against freedom of expression and the

Precious thoughts on a sensitive Bulgarian subject

What should be done about the legal status of prostitution in Bulgaria emerged as the topic of a conference held in Sofia on October 5. The conference, billed as a discussion on the legal and institutional mechanisms for combating human trafficking, provided a wonderful opportunity for the authorities to throw some light on what their policy on prostitution in Bulgaria is. As President Georgi Purvanov said in his

Brits in Bulgaria shunning north

Bulgaria's northern coastline may become empty of British tourists after two major tour operators announced they would remove all resorts to the north of Djunite from their catalogues, starting next year. The decisions of Thomson, a subsidiary of the UK TUI, and its peer, First Choice, to discontinue charter flights to northern resorts will directly affect 30 hotels that currently have contracts with the two companies.

A history of a festival

While associated with glamour, awards and red carpets, the Festival de Cannes is more than just another cinema awards event. This year is its 60th; the first festival took place in 1946. Jean Zay, the then-French minister for public instruction and the arts, had originated the idea of an international film festival seven years earlier, but it was postponed because of World War 2. According to the festival website

To Greece and back

From the Presidency in Sofia to Makedonia Palace in Thessaloniki is 340km. We took the long way, and went from Sofia to the Greek border at Svilengrad, via the E80. Once across, a procedure much facilitated given Bulgaria's European Union membership (five minutes, max?), our bus of Bulgarian media representatives and others was greeted by Evros region vice prefect Eleni Tsiaousi-Boulieri, general manager of the

The Diary: Thrace remembered

I have a friend whose uncle died in the Bulgarian army's siege of Erdine in the First Balkan War of 1913. A fellow soldier on the battlefield found a spent artillery shell near the uncle's body - presumably the one that killed him. The soldier brought the shell back to my friend's family. It was passed down until my friend inherited it. Now he keeps the shell in his bedroom.When my friend finished telling me this story, tears welled up

INSIGHT: Radical Islam in Bulgaria?

In its previous issue, The Sofia Echo published an article by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network on the rise of radical Islam in Bosnia. In this issue, The Echo's Editor-in-Chief CLIVE LEVIEV-SAWYER explores whether and to what extent the same phenomenon is being seen in Bulgaria.

Let us accept that radical Islam does not necessarily translate into terrorism. Other major religions have adherents who subscribe to interpretations of their scriptures that depart from the mainstream in their beliefs and observances. The question, in treating of any variety of a "fundamentalist" interpretation of a religion must be whether its teachings include an endorsement of encouragement to violence. Even

Ataka attacks Bulgaria's media

Volen Siderov, leader of the ultra-nationalist party Ataka, together with close to 50 of his supporters, stormed into the editorial offices of the Bulgarian-language daily 24 Chassa and the weekly 168 Chassa on February 23. Siderov and his followers said that they wanted to speak to 168 Chassa editor-in-chief Nikolai Penchev about an article published in 168 Chassa and later reprinted in 24 Chassa. The article said that the

TO THE EDITOR: SEEMO protest Bulgaria

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is alarmed at the pressure applied on the media by the supporters and members of the Bulgarian Ataka party, including its leader Volen Siderov, on the editorial offices of the Bulgarian daily 24 Hours and