LOCAL PRESS

 

Ljajic: Attacks in Ankara, Berlin and Zurich last signal for alarm (Tanjug)

 

Terrorist attacks in Ankara, Berlin and Zurich are the last signal for alarm to the entire civilized world, especially to the Muslim religious, political and intellectual elite, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and telecommunications Rasim Ljajic said. “This Islamic elite has the highest responsibility and obligation not only to raise its voice, but to take urgent steps towards stopping those who cause harm to the faith in the name of religion, causing tragic consequences for the entire world,” Ljajic told Tanjug.

 

SNS stops cooperation with PS in Kosovo and Metohija (Politika)

 

SNS municipal boards in Kosovo accused the provincial MPs from PS of “selling interests of the Serbian people for a handful of Albanian money” and therefore they stopped all cooperation with them because they supported dismissal of the minister of local self-administration Ljubomir Maric, an SNS official, and appointment of Mirjana Jevtic, who took his office. SNS from Kosovo accused MPs Serb Ticket from PS of an agreement with Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa about Maric’s dismissal. “SNS municipal boards in Kosovo are terminating all cooperation with PS in Kosovo and will take all the steps so as to neutralize the damage that this minor group of political profiteers causes to strength and unity of the Serbian people in Kosovo”, the press release of the SNS Kosovo boards reads. The SNS municipal boards in Kosovo also warn that “the agreement between Mustafa and PS MPs implies open trade with this group’s support to the formation of the so-called army of Kosovo.

PS provincial board in Kosovo retorted by pointing out that Maric’s dismissal “had nothing to do with our agreements with Mustafa because they do not exist, but they have to do with Maric’s poor performance.

SNS caucus whip in the Serbian parliament Aleksandar Martinovic said that appointment of a Serbian minister in the Kosovo Assembly could not be carried out without consultations with Serb List and the Office for Kosovo and Metohija. Martinovic said that Maric took very good care of interests of the Serb people in Kosovo. “It is not good that any Serb in Kosovo should accept any political function without previously reaching the absolute consensus in Serb Ticket and an agreement about the personnel solutions with the Office for Kosovo and Metohija,” Martinovic said.

 

Djurovic: Serbia stopped Kosovo from getting seat in PACE (Beta)

 

The Head of the Serbian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Aleksandra Djurovic announced on Dec. 20 that the Serbian side had succeeded in stopping the Kosovo delegation from receiving permission to attend sittings or to propose and sign resolutions in PACE. “The delegation is facing constant intentions and attempts to have Pristina be given extra rights that do not belong to it by any document of the Council of

Europe,” Djurovic told reporters in the Serbian parliament and added that Pristina had never applied to receive any kind of status in PACE. She explained that the Serbian delegation had called on PACE president Pedro Agramunt to see to it that a proposed memorandum for Kosovo to be allowed to participate in sessions be taken off the PACE Bureau’s agenda (in Paris on Dec. 16) because it was without legal grounds. At Agramunt’s proposal, she added, the presidential committee unanimously voted to take the proposal off the agenda.

 

Whose are the new gas stations in Kosovo and Metohija (Novosti/Politika)

 

Independent MP Slavisa Ristic accused the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric of deceiving the public when he said that a NIS gas station had been opened in Kosovo and, in order to document this, Ristic showed journalists a bill containing purchased fuel at that station claiming that was issued by private company Sekos from Sremska Mitrovica. Ristic further claims that the gas station and apparel are colored with NIS insignia and that the owner is a member of the SNS.

He also commented the appointment of the new Kosovo Minister Mirjana Jevtic, noting there is a clash of the SNS and the PS in Kosovo and Metohija, and added: “The genesis of their conflict is not only concerning politics, but the core of the conflict lies in money, i.e. who will control money coming from the Kosovo budget in the region of Kosovo and Metohija.”

Deputy Chief of SNS caucus Vladimir Orlic rebuffed these claims saying that at issue is a NIS building. “Everything that is alleviating and promoting economic activities in Kosovo is only laudable. It is strange that some MPs in Belgrade rejoice to the discord among the Serbs.”

 

SDA Sandzak and SDP sign Declaration on cooperation (RTS)

 

The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) of Sandzak led by Sulejman Ugljanin and the Sandzak Democratic Party (SDP), whose founder is Rasim Ljajic, signed in Novi Pazar the Declaration on strategic partnership, and the key goal of this agreement is full political and social stability in this region and it implies reducing tensions and divisions among citizens, especially Bosniaks.

The preamble of the document, which was signed by SDA leader Ugljanin and SDP leader Nihad Hasanovic, states that the two parties are firmly committed for democracy, EU and Euro-Atlantic integration of Serbia and building Serbia as a regionalized and decentralized state, based on the foundations of rule of law, legal safety and equality before the law.

 

Marsicanin transfers competencies over to Jovanovic (Tanjug)

 

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) has announced that Milos Jovanovic, who was the vice president of the party, assumed the leadership of this party as the acting president. Jovanovic assumed the leading position from Dragan Marsicanin, who had informed the membership about the transfer in a letter. Marsicanin announced that an important session of the main board of the DSS will be held on 24 December and Jovanovic will chair it. The DSS will decide at this session on the party candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

B&H officials comments on recent attacks in Berlin and Ankara (TV1)

 

Commenting the most recent attack in Berlin and the assassination of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov in Ankara, B&H Presidency member Bakir Izetbegovic said that what is controlled by the ISIL is spreading throughout the world now. “So I am afraid it will be more and more intensified in the times that follow,” he added.

Presidency member Dragan Covic noted that extremism does not choose the place or time and that B&H is part of that space, stressing that attention must be put on a systematic work, exchange of data with neighbors, etc.

Russian Embassy to B&H has opened the book of condolences in honor of Ambassador Karlov. US Ambassador to B&H Maureen Cormack was among the first ones to sign it, expressing deep condolences to friends and family.

President of Republika Srpska (RS) and leader of SNSD Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister of the RS Zeljka Cvijanovic and Deputy Prime Minister of the RS Anton Kasipovic signed the book of condolences in the in Banja Luka, opened on the occasion of the assassination of the Russian Ambassador to Turkey. On that occasion, Dodik stated that, by signing the book of condolences the citizens of the RS are showing solidarity with the people of Russia. He added that the terrorist act in Turkey is a warning to everyone to increase security capacities, which the RS also plans to do.

 

Dodik: Resolution of the issue of jurisdiction and composition is crucial (Srna)

 

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik has said that the resolution of the issue of jurisdiction and composition of the B&H Constitutional Court is the crucial issue concerning the future of RS. Dodik says that this issue must be resolved in five or ten years in order not to jeopardize the existence of RS, since the B&H Constitutional Court is now creating a new political system.

“A proposed bill on the B&H Constitutional Court is in a procedure, as a joint bill of all political parties from RS. In the desire to get more support, based on this proposal, I spoke with a delegation of the HDZ B&H,” Dodik told reporters. He has said that suggestions of the HDZ B&H pertain to the way of selection of judges of the B&H Constitutional Court from the Federation of B&H. “It is our intention to resolve the issue of jurisdiction of this court and the way of decision making,” Dodik has said and noted that the RS Constitutional Court, unlike the B&H Constitutional Court, works professionally and responsibly. He has said that there is no a law on the Constitutional Court at the B&H level, while the RS Constitutional Court works on the basis of a law. “All issues in which we are interested at the B&H level must be dominant, and it is incomprehensible that there are people in RS who say that Bosniaks do not want some things. There are ways of politically struggling, but nothing can be done with converts from RS,” Dodik has said. He says that additional jurisdictions of the B&H Constitutional Court must be abolished. “People from Europe lied to us when we agreed with the former High Representative, Catherine Ashton, about four things pertaining to the judiciary. Where is the EU credibility when they come here and say ‘respect the decisions of the B&H Constitutional Court’ and we agreed with Catherine Ashtown five years ago that this Court does not function well?” Dodik has said and added that decisions of a constitutional court are not obligatory anywhere in the world except in B&H.

He assessed as inadmissible positions of the SDS and PDP that SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic does not want some things. “So, if he does not want some things, we also do not want some things. I would like that B&H does not exist, but without a decisive fight of RS we have nothing to look for,” Dodik has concluded.

 

Leaders of SDP, DF, GS meet HR Inzko to discuss issue of Mostar (FTV/TV1)

 

Leaders of SDP Nermin Niksic, DF Zeljko Komsic and Civic Alliance Reuf Bajrovic met High Representative Valentin Inzko on Tuesday, to discuss the solutions for Stolac and Mostar. They would like to launch an initiative for elections in Mostar but they told the High Representative it will be hard to implement this through local institutions and that intervention of the international community will be necessary. Niksic stated that they were told the OHR is closely following the situation regarding Mostar and that they are discussing this issue with representatives of embassies. Niksic commented that, if it is left to current authorities, not only elections in Mostar but elections in B&H in general will come under question. Komsic doubts that solution can be reached through local institutions and he believes that this will require intervention of the international community. According to him, the current situation in Mostar is favorable for both SDA and HDZ B&H. Komsic also thinks that there is an attempt to impose the same situation with Stolac. Niksic emphasized that the issues of Stolac and Mostar are different but Bajrovic deems that solutions for the both Mostar and Stolac are simple – holding elections in line with current laws of B&H. The SDP leader does not see reason why the Central Election Commission of B&H is not doing its job and why it is obstructing election process in Stolac. They assessed this meeting as a new step towards joint participation of left-wing parties in the next elections.  Following the meeting, Niksic said they were assured that the OHR follows the situation, but prefer a solution by local authorities. Leaders of these opposition parties expressed hope that the OHR will call elections in Mostar, according to consent of the Peace Implementation Community (PIC). Komsic said they have concrete proposals and solutions, and added that they will see if they will be approved by the public and international community that has power to start some things.

 

Covic, Izetbegovic deny allegations about meeting that would reconsider their coalition relations (TV1)

 

Leaders of SDA Bakir Izetbegovic and HDZ B&H Dragan Covic held a meeting at B&H Presidency building on Tuesday, discussing the relations within the ruling coalition and the last week’s meeting of Covic and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik. Izetbegovic said after the meeting that Covic explained how reporters wrongly interpreted his words announcing that he would reconsider the relations with SDA. Asked to comment part of the meeting referring to the Law on B&H CC, the SDA leader reminded that SDA issued a statement on that, adding that “we deem this is one initiative without any purpose”. He stressed it is not an option at this moment when a referendum on secession is announced for 2018 to “remove a dam through the Constitutional Court of B&H to that”. Covic said he is surprised with comments about something “that does not even exist”. According to Covic, he and Izetbegovic will discuss the joint proposal of the law in two weeks, after the holidays. He stressed that no one should comment on the law, because no one knows the content yet.

 

Opposition leaders claim that Covic and Dodik have partnership (TV1)

 

Leaders of SDP Nermin Niksic, DF Zeljko Komsic and Civic Alliance Reuf Bajrovic commented SNSD-HDZ B&H relations in the context of the recent meeting of leaders of these two parties Milorad Dodik and Dragan Covic. According to Komsic, HDZ B&H’s real partner is actually Milorad Dodik. Bajrovic deems that Covic and Dodik have ten-year long partnership and they have goals which are not in line what “normal people in B&H want”. Niksic said that there are those who openly say they are against the state, but also those who advocate interest of people and the country yet do everything opposite to what they say. SDP B&H will not support Dodik’s and Covic’s proposal, which stipulates departure of foreign judges from the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H.

 

Vatican is bothered with close cooperation of Covic and Dodik (EuroBlic)

 

The daily learned that the Catholic Church has asked HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic to end his close relations with SNSD leader Milorad Dodik. Sources from the top of HDZ B&H claimed that Covic will hardly be able to resist pressures of Vatican on the overall politics of Croats and revealed that party bodies of HDZ B&H will soon discuss the latest public appearances of representatives of the Catholic Church in which Covic was resented for not mentioning Posavina region in his statements related to constitutional reorganization of B&H and creation of the third entity. “Covic will have to obey the will of Croat Bishops, otherwise he will face the danger of getting into an open conflict with the Catholic Church, which is something none of Croat politicians has ever done so far”, sources noted.

 

Opposition not running together either in Niksic or in presidential elections (Pobjeda)

 

Civic opposition (Social Democratic Party – SDP, Demos, Democratic Montenegro – DCG and Socialist People’s Party – SNP) rejected DF’s proposal for a common presidential candidate for the 2018 presidential elections, Pobjeda learns. “In DF’s platform there is a clause stipulating that the opposition should have a single candidate in the presidential elections. Those elections, as well as new parliamentary elections, are supposed to be prepared by a co-ministerial government, which the civic opposition verbally rejected,” a source from DF said.

 

Co-ministers

A co-ministerial government with DPS is unacceptable for Becic’s Democrats, but also for SDP and the URA Civic Movement, who told DF representatives that such a government was not constitutional. The most of the civic opposition parties, except for SNP, also rejected DF’s offer for running in the local elections in Niksic with a joint united opposition candidates list. “There are even proposals, such as the one by SDP, to boycott the elections, which we certainly do not think of,” said the Pobjeda’s source. The idea of a united running in Niksic was publicly supported by the SNP president Srdjan Milic, but not by the rest of the civic opposition.

 

Concept

Due to the large differences in their concepts, there is a low chance for the opposition to come up with a common platform. “At this point, likely option is to offer two platforms. The only common thing would be demand to repeat elections and to fully investigate the coup allegations,” said the source. NOVA leader Andrija Mandic said on Monday that the opposition should insist on boycotting the Parliament and that the elections should be prepared by a co-ministerial government.

 

DF reconsiders protests as an option?

If some of the opposition parties stops boycotting the parliament, DF might organize protests again. “If there is no single agreement, all the options are possible, including protests. We consider protests the most effective way of fighting against the regime,” the source said.

 

Administrative Court repeals voting process at Tearce polling place (MIA)

 

The Administrative Court accepted Tuesday two electoral appeals, namely one filed by the VMRO-DPMNE against the 16 December decision of the State Election Commission (SEC) ordering a re-run ballot at a polling station no. 0396/1 in Tetovo municipality. The court also upheld a complaint of the SDSM-led opposition coalition against a decision of the State Election Commission reached on Dec. 18, thus invalidating the voting process at a polling place in Tearce municipality - the sixth electoral district. The first ruling of the Administrative Court in Skopje was reached unanimously by a council of five judges, while the second one by a majority of votes of another five-member council. The decisions of this court are final.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Kosovo Accuses Djuric of Busting Russia Trade Sanctions (BIRN, by Die Morina, Visar Prebreza, 21 December 2016)

 

Officials say the head of the Serbian government's Kosovo Office opened gas stations run by a Serbian company linked to Russia's Gazprom Neft.

The head of the Serbian government's Office for Kosovo, Marko Djuric, has angered the Kosovo government by opening three gas selling points for the Serbian company Nis Petrol in Serb-run northern Kosovo in North Mitrovica, Zubin Potok and Zvecan. Officials have accused him of entering the country without permission and of breaking the Kosovo government's clear embargo on trade with Russia. Russia's energy giant Gazprom Neft, which is prominent on the black list drawn up by Kosovo government, is the main shareholder of NIS , owning 56 per cent of the company’ shares. The Kosovo government imposed sanctions against Russia on 17 September 2014 in harmony with the EU, over Russia's intervention in Ukraine. The decision listed a number of companies and persons that were specifically banned from doing business in Kosovo or had their assets blocked. Gazprom Neft was among them. The opening of the Nis Petrol sales points in northern Kosovo drew a sharp reaction from the government, which has asked the EU to help close them, as its de-facto control over this part of Kosovo is minimal. "We must have maximum vigilance to stop any Russian influence in Kosovo because it can be dangerous to the national security of our Euro-Atlantic state and with geostrategic risks for Kosovo and the region. This issue should be addressed by our state institutions in the context of Russia's dangerous ambitions," Kosovo's Minister of Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, said.

Lulzim Krasniqi, an adviser to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, told BIRN that the sanctions imposed on Russia must also apply to Nis Petrol. “The Kosovo government will be attentive in implementing its decisions regarding economic sanctions against Russia in this case as well," Krasniqi insisted. According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the operation of Nis Petrol is against Kosovo's laws. “Concerning the issue of the illegal operation of Nis Petrol, the government is taking relevant legal actions,” Krasniqi said. According to him, Nis Petrol is not registered as a business in Kosovo. “These gas stations [opened by Nis Petrol] did not apply for a license from the Ministry of Trade and Industry,” Krasniqi confirmed.

Several illegal and unlicensed gas stations operate illegally in the four northern Kosovo Serb municipalities, undercutting official petrol stations in the country by selling petrol for far cheaper prices. Kosovo has no official relations with Russia, which does not recognise its independence proclaimed in 2008. The Kremlin is also a firm supporter of Serbia in its ongoing dispute with Kosovo over its independence.

 

Macedonia Poll Re-Run Could Alter Election Result (BIRN, by Sinisa Jakov Marusic, 21 December 2016)

 

On Sunday, Macedonia is set to re-run the December 11 general election in a single polling station - which could change the overall election result by potentially evening out the number of seats won by the ruling and opposition parties.

Macedonia's Administrative Court on Tuesday accepted one electoral complaint filed by the opposition Social Democratic Union, SDSM as a result of which the December 11 general election will be re-run in a single polling station, number 2011, in the north western municipality of Tearce. This single re-run could alter the number of seats won in parliament by the two main parties on December 11 from 51-49 in favour of the ruling VMRO DPMNE party to 50-50 with the SDSM. The difference in the votes on December 11 between VMRO DPMNE and the SDSM in the sixth electoral unit, where Tearce is located, was just 307 votes in favour of the ruling party. The re-run could thus potentially change this, and even out the overall result by taking away one seat from VMRO DPMNE and giving it to the opposition. For the purpose of general elections, Macedonia is divided into six electoral units, each contributing 20 seats in the 120-seat parliament. The number of MPs won by the parties in each electoral unit is calculated by a proportional model dependent on the won votes.  Re-run spells further trouble: The risk of tension remains high, however, as VMRO DPMNE called the Administrative Court decision "scandalous" and "illegal" and warned that it will not participate in the re-run. "This is part of a larger scenario to falsify the electoral will of the citizens ... The math is simple. In this polling station, the SDSM can steal VMRO DPMNE's election victory," VMRO DPMNE's executive committee member Nikola Todorov said. "The scenario for electoral theft makes us stronger, more determined and more united in our intention to defend democracy because we are on the side of the people, justice, law and truth," Todorov added. The SDSM, led by Zoran Zaev, has repeated its assertion that former prime minister and VMRO DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski will not be able to form a new government. "Nikola Gruevski [is] frantic. That's why he either makes threats or sends Todorov to weep," the SDSM said in a press release. "Over 600,000 people [the total number of votes for the opposition on December 11] have said there is no more place in politics for people like Gruevski, no more space for crimes or for election-rigging carried out by VMRO DPMNE. The democratic processes have started and Gruevski knows that," the SDSM said. US appeals for calm and respect for values: The US, meanwhile, said it was "concerned about heightened political tensions in Macedonia" and "condemns the inflammatory rhetoric from some political leaders which gives license to attacks on democratic institutions and ambassadors accredited to Macedonia," US State Department spokesperson John Kirby said at the December 20 press briefing in Washington. The reaction follows Saturday's fiery speech by VMRO DPMNE leader Gruevski in which he accused the Electoral Commission and unnmamed Western ambassadors of plotting to steal his election victory and threatened civil society groups financed from abroad. "We call on political leaders to stop unwarranted attacks, respect the democratic process, and allow the formation of a credible, stable government committed to the rule of law, accountability and fundamental freedoms," Kirby said, adding that Washington would assist such a government to achieve Macedonia's goals of European and Atlantic integration. Albanians hold keys to new government: Ethnic Albanian parties in Macedonia appear to hold the key to the formation of a new government that will need the support of at least 61 of the 120 MPs in parliament. The junior ruling party in the last coalition, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, which won 10 seats - has so far not commented on whether it will renew its coalition with VMRO DPMNE. The party's poor election result - winning just 10 seats compared to 19 won in the election in 2014 - is seen by some as punishment from Albanian voters for sticking with Gruevski for eight years. The three opposition ethnic Albanian parties, Besa, the Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, and the DPA - Movement for Reforms, which together won another 10 seats, have denounced the idea of any new alliance with Gruevski, whom they accuse of conducting anti-Albanian policies while in power.

 

Refugees fall victim to people “ping pong” in the Balkans (IRIN, 20 December 2016)

 

In an abandoned warehouse at the back of a bus station in Belgrade, several hundred migrants and refugees, most of them young men from Afghanistan, spend their days trying to keep warm and talking about how they will leave Serbia and continue their journeys towards Western Europe. Officially, since March, there has been no way for migrants and asylum seekers to travel north from Greece other than by successfully applying for family reunification or relocation. But there are options for those who can afford it. Smugglers are charging 1,500 euros to move people from Greece (usually Thessaloniki) to Belgrade, and the same amount again to get them to Western Europe. But many only get as far as the Balkans before running out of money or encountering draconian government policies. Push-backs, detentions, and deportations are common throughout the region, with some activists describing a “ping-pong situation” in which people are endlessly pushed back and forth. Over the weekend, Croatian police discovered 67 migrants from Afghanistan and Pakistan, including three children, crammed into the back of a smuggler’s van travelling from the Serbian border towards the capital, Zagreb. Many of the migrants were suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning as well as hunger and exhaustion. After hospital treatment, the migrants will likely be returned to Serbia. Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia are all candidates for membership of the European Union, which means they are supposed to adopt and apply EU legislation. But the EU has paid little attention to the treatment of refugees and migrants in this region, particularly as border closures and push-backs have become increasingly common, even within the EU. A recent report by Macedonian NGO Legis notes that since the closure of the Balkan route, “policies have been amended to foster instead of mitigate protection and security risks to vulnerable populations in transit”.

 

Thousands at risk

No one knows exactly how many migrants and refugees are currently stranded in Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia, and Serbia. But in Serbia alone, the number is thought to be as high as 10,000.

An estimated 2,000 are living in abandoned buildings and containers scattered around the capital, Belgrade. Of the many threats they face, winter is perhaps the most serious. At night, temperatures often drop to between -4 and -10 degrees Celsius. Leo, a volunteer with a local NGO who only gave his first name, told IRIN that more than 1,000 people were sleeping in the old barracks behind Belgrade’s main train station and many more were sleeping rough in the city’s streets and parks. “They stay in inhumane conditions, some of them in places that are not clean, and we are afraid of the possible outbreak of different diseases,” he said. The government runs 12 reception centres for migrants and refugees, but they are overcrowded and understaffed. Andrea Contenta, part of a team from Médecins Sans Frontières providing healthcare to the migrants, said, “the camps are overwhelmed and are currently failing to provide adequate levels of services for humane and dignified reception… relocating people into the existing camps is not a viable option”. “A sustainable shelter plan needs to be put in place as soon as possible to avoid the catastrophic situation that is evolving,” he told IRIN. Leo said that migrants and asylum seekers were opting to sleep on the streets, not only because of poor conditions in the government centres, but because they believed that registering with the Serbian authorities could prevent them from continuing their journeys westward. Many centres are also in remote locations, far from the borders they hope to reach. For those staying outside the shelters, little help is available. Unlike in Greece, there are few volunteer groups working with refugees, partly because of strict rules imposed by the government. In November, the government informed NGOs that the distribution of food and clothing to those living outside state-run reception centres was “no longer acceptable”. Over the summer, attempts were made to shut down or relocate several organisations providing assistance to migrants, including Info Park Belgrade and Miksaliste.

 

New routes, new problems

Last year, most migrants spent no more than a couple of days in Serbia before crossing into Hungary or Croatia and then into the EU. With both those borders now virtually impassable, more people are taking routes through Bosnia. But those caught crossing into Bosnia are considered illegal migrants and kept in a prison-like facility near Sarajevo. Your Rights, a Bosnian organisation that provides legal aid, said children were among those being detained there. “We believe this is absolutely illegal,” said Harisa Bačvić, a legal advisor with Your Rights. The organisation has reported the situation to state institutions dealing with human rights in Bosnia, as well as to the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR. But in early December, five children were thought to still be in the detention centre. Macedonia has also been detaining migrants, including children, since March this year when it closed its border with Greece. “They are kept in these facilities without any legal grounds,” said Mersiha Smailovic, a human rights lawyer with Legis. According to Smailovic, 200 migrants are currently being detained in two facilities and have not been offered the opportunity to apply for asylum. She said Macedonia was also facing a legal challenge by the European Court of Human Rights for legislation it has introduced allowing it to “push back” or return people caught crossing its borders from neighbouring countries. According to UNHCR data cited in the Legis report earlier this month, 18,480 people have been pushed back from Macedonian territory since the beginning of 2016. NGOs and activists report that the push-backs are often accompanied by violence. Nearly one in three patients attending MSF’s clinics in the Balkans report being subjected to abuse and violence. “While smugglers may bear the responsibility for part of this violence, patients report that at least half is perpetrated by state authorities, responsible for push-backs, deportations, and expulsions,” Contenta told IRIN.