Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from April, 2021
Serbian anti-vaxxers revive the medieval ‘Danse Macabre,’ while pandemic deaths rise
Dance of Death: A round dance in central Belgrade around a new monument of medieval king Stefan Nemanja was part of a chain of anti-lockdown protests across Europe.
A runaway judge’s disappearance could mar Ukraine-Moldova relationship
Ukrainian judge Mykola Chaus’ escape to Moldova and his subsequent disappearance demonstrate the risks that elite abuse of law enforcement and judicial powers for personal gain poses for regional security.
A sex worker from North Macedonia speaks: ‘Those who pay us do not own us’
"Those who think if they pay, they own us are wrong. When we go to a café we pay for the coffee, that's it, we don't own the entire café."
Ukraine, Belarus commemorate 35th anniversary of Chernobyl disaster
For the world, Chornobyl symbolises the fragility of our environment and the threat posed by human activity. But for many in Ukraine and Belarus, it remains a personal tragedy.
European Court backs Ukrainian journalist's right to phone data privacy from the state
Natalia Sedletska has been waging a three-year battle to protect her phone data from being seized by Ukrainian prosecutors investigating a state secrets leak that occurred almost four years ago.
Czech-Russian relations hit new low after Prague accuses Moscow of ‘state-sponsored terrorism’
On April 17, the Czech government announced it would expel 18 Russian diplomats, following revelations by its intelligence agency that Russian agents played a role in the 2014 explosions at an arms depot.
Feminist activist in Russia faces prison term for ‘body-positive’ drawings
Human rights groups have labeled Yulia Tsvetkova a prisoner of conscience and have called on Russia to remove all charges and to "stop targeting feminist, LGBTI and other activists."
Russian authorities crack down on student journalism outlet over protest explainer video
Supporters of DOXA journal have called the charges against its editors "preposterous" and demanded that "all harassment of students immediately cease."
Serbian freelancers protest new taxation law that threatens to push thousands into poverty
Told for years that their line of work was not regulated by law and had no framework for taxation, digital workers are now expected to pay hefty taxes in retrospect.
Slander campaign threatens Serbian civil society and independent media
Accusations of complicity in a coup d’état and assassination of the president, as well as death threats have been voiced against prominent civil society organizations, drawing European Parliament's condemnation.
‘Our homeland is where the money is': pragmatic citizenship in Tajikistan
Every year, thousands of Central Asian citizens try to overcome the restrictions attached to the citizenship they acquired at birth and apply for a Russian passport.
Macedonians race to buy ‘Euro 2020′ sticker album for local footballers’ collection
The tradition of collecting and swapping the self-adhesive Panini cards is part of the common culture in the former Yugoslavia, but this year's 'Euro 2020' creates a special buzz.
WATCH/LISTEN: Breaking the taboo on abortion
Missed the live stream of the April 7 Global Voices Insights webinar on abortion rights in five countries? Here's a replay.
Israeli phone hacking firm stops sales to Belarus and Russia
Cellebrite, an Israeli software company known for making tools used to extract data from smartphones, has announced it will halt sales to Russian and Belarus state bodies and law enforcement.
Can the Eurovision Song Contest change Russia's views on migrants from Central Asia?
Russia has nominated Tajik-Russian singer Manizha as its representative for the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. But many Russians reject her as the chosen face of their country at the international event.
Belarus banned from 2021 Eurovision contest for controversial song lyrics
The European Broadcasting Union found Belarus to be "in breach of the rules of the competition that ensure the Contest is not instrumentalized or brought into disrepute."
North Macedonia forced to re-edit Eurovision music video following nationalist rage
North Macedonia's nationalists have weighed a campaign against singer Vasil Garvanliev for "spreading Bulgarian propaganda" -- as two frames in the original video showed an artwork with the colors of the Bulgarian flag.
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