Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from July, 2020
Documentary exposes the threat of facial recognition surveillance in Serbia
Online documentary warns the public about privacy risks emanating from a newly installed video surveillance system equipped with Chinese facial recognition technology.
Serbia protests point to crisis of legitimacy for Vučić government
Serbian authorities unleashed a wave of violence at recent protests in the capital, causing some to wonder whether the government is finally starting to lose its control over the narrative.
The 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre: Remembrance amid genocide denial
“... the glorification of war criminals inflict[s] tremendous suffering on the survivors and their families. Leaders in the region have publicly denied the genocide, even calling Srebrenica a hoax..."
Serbia's first #MeToo trial ends with three-month prison sentence for high-profile predator
Some other women with complaints about the former mayor's behaviour were effectively forced out of the small community.
Fruit picking in a pandemic: Europe's precarious migrant workers
Despite COVID-19, Eastern European seasonal labourers continued to toil on farms and in factories as before — sparking a fierce debate about the rights of migrants in wealthier EU states.
Czech author Radka Denemarková on Kundera and patriarchy in the Czech literature scene
"We still await a book about Kundera written by a young, sensitive, intelligent woman, as Kundera's world is based on patriarchal values."
Russian journalist avoids jail term for ‘justifying terrorism’ – and fears a new assault on press freedoms
While her conviction remains in force, Svetlana Prokopyeva has avoided a prison sentence. The verdict was a silver lining in a new wave of arrests and criminal cases against journalists.
‘Why did your father die?': Serbia's COVID-19 chaos spills onto Belgrade's streets
"To this day I haven't received his tests. The paperwork said that he died from the corona [virus]. No ventilators were available."
Authorities in Republika Srpska accused of burying genocide memories in tourism bid
The Vilina Vlas hotel hosted unspeakable crimes during Bosnian War in the 1990s. But it is still being billed as a haven for family breaks.
Uyghur emojis help spread message of cultural resistance over social media
Emojis representing Uyghur characters and culture are now available on the encrypted messenger platform Telegram in an effort by the Uyghur diaspora in Russian-speaking countries to raise visibility.
LGBTQ+ community and politicians salute Montenegro's new law on same-sex partnerships
Only five years ago, police banned the country's Pride March as "too risky" following threats of violence from homophobic groups.
Milan Kundera's first Czech biography: Another public dressing-down in his homeland?
"An optimist can still hope there will be a time when the debate around Milan Kundera will overcome its long-lasting neurotic phase."
Remembering the heartbreaking words of Yugoslavia's war-struck ‘Lost Generation’
"Never in my life [did I imagine] I would shoot at someone or that someone would shoot at me. How can this be? It's not right."
Russia scales up electronic voting for key referendum, but misses security issues
As Russia goes to the polls this week in a constitutional referendum, several regions will be voting online. But the new digital voting system has some serious shortcomings.
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