Crime/spy and somewhat appalling political news of the week (July 21, 2023)

 Yep, it’s a round-up like no other—i.e. read between the lines if you dare.

Albania

Press rights (or lack of them) have been under focus throughout the Balkans for ages, but Albania caught the news this week when the mayor of Tirana, Eorn Veliaij, apparently lost his temper with BIRN Albania journalist Ola Xama and verbally assaulted her, according to BIRN, which said she was called a “contract killer”—ostensibly for reporting on corruption and… erm… killing contracts.

The name calling, however, went far enough over the top that the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) stepped in with the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in solidarity with the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) in “expressing great concerns by recent developments in Albania, which not only highlight a deteriorating environment for press freedom, but also pose a severe threat to the safety of journalists and their ability to inform the public.”

The EFJ highlighted the Xama case, stating that “it is the duty of public officials to respond to investigative reports with professionalism and respect for the role of journalism in holding power accountable, not with attacks on journalists’ credibility.” It also pointed out that journalist Marsi Korreshi and her SYRI TV crew in Rrogozhina received threats “during their coverage of a political event” which further underscored “the precarious situation faced by journalists in Albania. Although police responded quickly to the incident, it’s alarming that members of the media are facing intimidation and threats simply for carrying out their professional duties.”

Additionally, the EFJ pointed out how former Prime Minister Sali Berisha has reportedly attempted “to discredit BIRN Albania, a reputable and independent media organisation” and that this represents “a serious threat to media freedom in Albania.”

Albania, as if you have not guessed, has not done well in recent freedom-of-the-press rankings, and Reporters without Borders has noted that journalists there are targeted by organized crime, police, politicians… well, pretty much everybody.

And while we are on the subject of BIRN, here is a news plug for the week: Mentor Beqa, a lecturer of International Politics at Aleksander Moisiu University, Durres, Albania, published an article that absolutely nailed the complexity of the relationship between Albania, Kosovo, the US and Serbia. Check it out here, as it’s worth a read:

https://balkaninsight.com/2023/07/19/rama-kurti-feud-reveals-deeper-rift-between-albania-and-kosovo/

Former Minister Arben Aghmetaj has now lost his Parliamentary immunity and if caught will be arrested on charges of corruption over sideways waste contracts and a sea-side view real estate deal. Albanian Parliament voted to scupper immunity on July 14, but as of press time nobody seemed to have a clue of his whereabouts. Meanwhile, opposition politicians have claimed that Prime Minister Edi Rama does know, and that he’s hiding Aghmetaj, which the prime minister has denied.

Belarus

The head of the Belarus Red Cross went on Belarussian television and described transporting children from Russian-occupied Ukraine to Belarus. To say the least, this generated headlines round the world. To say the most, transporting children across any border without the permission of all legal guardians is a crime. Funny how the head of the Red Cross even in Belarus did not know that.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have expressed concerns and ordered the Belarussian affiliate to cease such activities. Ukraine has opened criminal investigations and voiced outrage, and Belarussian activities Pavel Latushka has stated that 2,100 children have been victim of “transfers.”

Wagner mercenaries are still arriving in Belarus, with multiple convoys a day hitting the border. Estimates now range between 3,000 and 6,000, and reportedly Wagner mercenaries are training Belarussian forces near the border with Poland. The Wagner Molkino base in the southern Russian district of Krasnador has now been shut down, and most mercenaries have seemed to set up in Tsel in Belarus. With regard to mercenaries on the border, Poland is monitoring this situation, but stated that at the moment there is no cause for alarm.

Meanwhile, Evgeniy Prigozhin has reappeared in Belarus, promising big things and ending a speech to his troops with the “welcome to Hell” phrase that was used by Ukrainians at the beginning of the invasion. What these big things are, nobody knows, although Russian politicians have pointed repeatedly to a need to seize Poland’s Suwalki Gap.

Belarussian authorities have arrested journalist Ihar Karnei, 55, who long worked for RFE/RL, which has been deemed an extremist organization. He now faces up to seven years in prison, but as of press time, he has been given no access to lawyers.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnian police raided… Bosnian police this week in Kakanj, arresting 16 in what was described as an organized crime bust. This was only one of 20 locations raided, however. Allegedly, those arrested are under suspicion of abuse of office and at least when it comes to the police… looking the other way

Reporting in the Balkans is about to get still tougher—at least in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Republika Srpska, where a bill on defamation, with criminal penalties for unauthorized publishing of images or files has hit Parliament. The final draft of the law sees fines oof EUR 1,000 to EUR 3,000, which is far less than the EUR 60,000 previously discussed, but unauthorized publication of other people's files, image, and recordings can mean two years in prison.

Yikes!

Czechia

Czech Parliament has approved a new treaty that will allow further cooperation with the US military—including the stationing of US troops in the Czech Republic. This is now the 25th NATO member that has signed such an agreement.

Estonia

Nabbed in mid-July for alleged spying, a supposed FSB colonel, Vadim Konoshchenok, was arraigned in the US by a US court. He is allegedly one of a group of seven who bought US military equipment and… sent it to Russia. The group includes both Russians and Americans in what is now known as the Serviva Network. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has not stated just what was sent to Russia, only that the equipment and hardware was bought through front companies/shell companies, but that Serniya Engineering, in Moscow and Sertal LLC, were key to the network. Noteworthy is that the FBI has accused Konoshchenok of not only shipping a huge amounts of munitions but of smuggling… nuclear equipment, including that considered military grade. Interesting is that Konoshchenok was apprehended twice—once in October and then again in December of 2022 when he had both ammunition and classified documents in his possession.

Kosovo

More ugliness from years gone by surfaced this week during the ongoing war crimes trial of Hashim Thaci in the Hague when British Intelligence Officer Francis Ledwidge, testified that the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLS) displayed “organization and coordination” when kidnapping civilians” in Rahovec, as cited by Balkan Transitional Justice. Those kidnapped included 45 missing Serbs who disappeared in 1998. Of 38 detained in Rahovec/Orahovac, seven were killed and four were “disappeared.”  Thaci and other co-defendants who were officers in the KLA and later politicians are accused of bearing responsibility for abuses against prisoners held by the KLA and a total of 102 murders. They have pled not guilty.

Moldova

Opposition leader of the Transistria Communist Party Oleg Khorzhan was found murdered in his home in Sucleia, Transnistria, according to a Transnistria Ministry of the Interior press release issued July 17. Khorzhan may have been a robbery victim, as his body was found next to an open safe. Khorzhan was a controversial figure in Transnistria, which is officially part of Moldova, although under the control of separatists. A member of parliament between 2010 and 2019, he also was given a 4.5 prison sentence in 2018 for assaulting a government official.

Three ministers resigned, following an armed attack by an attack by a Tajik citizen denied entry at Chisinau Airport June 30, but three new ministers were sworn in July 17, with these being Adrian Efros (Ministry of Interior), Dan Perciun (Ministry of Education) and Andrei Spinu (Ministry of Development). The attack killed two officers at the airport. The Tajik attacker has since died from injuries sustained during his arrest.

Montenegro

Former Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic asked for FBI support to solve the almost two-decade-old murder of editor Dusko Jovanocic as one of his final acts prior to leaving office. Which is probably a good thing, although it seems to Yours Truly that he could have acted a bit sooner.

Poland

Polish prosecutors have revealed that arrests of a Russian spy network that had been mapping the Polish rail system now totals 15, with citizens of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine now charged with planning to sabotage trains. The Polish daily, Gazeta Polska, noted that prosecutors have gathered evidence to show that there were plans to derail or explode trains carrying both military and humanitarian aid.  Previous reports noted in the press and on official websites have also included Poles as being among those detained, with GPS trackers and camera equipment seized. All charged may face up to 10 years in prison.

The Polish Central Bureau of Investigation (CBSP) and the Lower Silesian department of the National Prosecutor's Office solved a cold murder case from 1997, with the victim likely having been killed against the backdrop of the "Spirit War" or "War of in Zgorzelec” that took place in the late 1990s. CBSP “shadow hunters” picked up the case and now two men have been detained for this case in Poland and Spain. Investigators were working on organized crime groups operating mainly in the area of the current Dolnośląskie Voivodeship and partly also in Lubuskie and Wielkopolskie Voivodships, whose members in the 1990s were involved in smuggling activities on the Polish-German-Czech border. Gang warfare as part of the Spirits War often resulted in incredibly brutal crimes, and recent leads led to the corpse, which was buried in approximately a six-meter layer of earth and garbage. Arrest warrants followed, and it was determined that one of the men had returned to Poland, but the trail of the second man led to Spain, and Spanish Police detained the suspect in the Alicante region. The investigation is still ongoing, and police anticipate the solving of further “disappearances” from that time.

Romania

A Romanian court decided July 18 to extend the house arrest of Andrew Tate, the controversial social media star now reportedly charged with or is charged as an accessory with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. Tate and his brother, Tristan, as well as two Romanian women, were indicted approximately one month ago. Their house arrest was extended 30 days. That said, the Tates have claimed innocence and promised that “justice will prevail.” Both Tates are citizens of the US and the UK.  Both were moved from jail to house arrest in March.

Romanian police have alleged that there are seven victims who were transported to Romania, exploited and with some subject to violence. At least one victim has alleged rape.

Serbia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic called for  Nato to “take over” and protect ethnic Serbs in in Kosovo and Metohija, following meetings in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on July 19.

Tensions  have ramped up and down all year, but Vucic has recently gone on the record stating that Serbia has watched Kosovo increasingly arm its military and police. Vucic compared the militarizing and increased presence of Kosovo police to a KLA presence after a meeting with Stoltenberg on Wednesday. He also requested a stronger NATO/KFOR presence so that Serbs in Kosovo could lead a “normal life.”

The call for an increased KFOR presence is an interesting change of strategy for Serbia, as in the past Vucic has chosen to increase Serb troops on the border and threaten intervention. Meanwhile, the US and the EU have shown frustration with both the governments of Kosovo and Vucic, although recently pressure from both caused Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to promise to reduce the Kosovo police presence in North Kosovo and also schedule new elections, following controversial elections that while ignored by Serbs resulted in the wildly unpopular election of ethnic-Albanian mayors in three towns.

Russia-Ukraine war [please note that more detailed information and analysis of battlefield results is provided in the Ukrainian War Update provided mid-week for Patreon users.]

Lithuania will provide EUR 24 mln in yet another round of aid to Ukraine, according to its Ministry of Defense, with Interfax Ukraine adding that it plans to create a “coalition to clear mines” in Ukraine. Meanwhile a Reuters scoop indicated that the US will soon announce a USD 1.3 bln aid package for Ukraine (in the coming days).

Although hundreds of Western companies are still active in Russia, those days may be coming to an end, as both the Carlsberg and Danone companies announced that primary assets had been “seized” by Russia by July 18, although Russian President Vladmir Putin announced that the government had taken control of both companies’ operations on Sunday July 16. This, along with the cancellation of the Black Sea Grain deal, may signal a new level of economic war on the West. Both companies had previously announced plans to leave the country. Both companies likely well understood what was coming down the pipe, as the Russian government issued a decree in April that created the “legal conditions” to take over Western companies. That said, Carlsberg had previously stated that was in the process of selling its Russian operations, although likely at a severely discounted price.

On July 17, Russia followed through on a promise to end the Black Sea Grain Agreement, with Russian President Vladimir Putin had repeatedly having expressed frustration over the fact that grain was being shipped from Ukrainian ports, but continued to face difficult sanctions. A UN offer to restart the SWIFT system for a subsidiary of Russia’s primary agro bank fell on deaf ears, and…

For now that’s it.

On the same day, perhaps with this date not incidental, sea drones reportedly in the shape of explosive-laden “water scooters” hit the Kerch Bridge over Crimea, severely damaging the lanes for vehicles, but leaving the train line intact. The Kersk bridge is seen as sacrosanct by the Putin regime, and Russia immediately promised retaliation, which came in the form of missile strikes across Ukraine, but also strikes on the port in Odessa, which severely damaged shipping infrastructure, and reportedly, according to Nexta and other Ukrainian outlets also destroyed some 60,000 tonnes of grain.

Odessa has been hit every night since this first attack with both severe damage to port logistics and civilian casualties sustained. Various governments and the UN have called for Russia to restart the deal, although this looks very unlikely. The Ukrainian government is currently scrambling for alternate grain shipping routes, but the prognosis of not only a grain shortage, but also a completely gas cutoff to Europe, as the announcement of the end of the deal immediately hit the commodities market, with Chicago wheat futures jumping 4 percent on the news the same day.

That said, the strike on the bridge did serve to embarrass Putin, as the “water scooters” managed to penetrate a much ballyhooed 17 layers of defenses, which supposedly included militarized dolphins—and Russian war bloggers made much of this fact. Likewise, one strike appears to have come from the Sea of Azov side of the bridge, which stunned Russian pundits and bloggers, and suggested that a ship must have smuggled in the sea drone to that side, which is Russian controlled. This, as well as the fact that the strike was well-coordinated, may mean that once again heads will roll in the Russian military.

The destruction of one vehicle lane and severe damage to another meant instant traffic jams, comprised of tourists (and likely settlers) who have had enough of Crimea. That said, getting out is no longer easy, and the Russian government has suggested a roundabout voyage through occupied territories that is taking place. Traffic on the bridge now consists of one way traffic that is then stopped in order for traffic to be allowed to proceed in the other directions.

Much has been made of the damage to the military supply route, but, according to sources who spoke to The Corners, this may be somewhat exaggerated due to the fact that the train line is intact. That said, the lack of a trucking route is in fact serious, and both over-estimated and under-estimated have been Storm Shadow strikes to logistics/supply routes through the occupied territories.

Additionally, an ammunition depot in Crimea at the Russian Kirovske military base burned much of July 19, with a plume of smoke seen for miles and multiple secondary explosions continuing during the day.

Finally, a potential new level of attrition may now be beginning on the ground with Ukraine and the US having confirmed the first use of cluster munitions by Ukraine. US officials have stated that they are being used “effectively.” Russia has previously commented that it has a large stockpile of cluster munitions, and that it will reply in kind.

 

Photo: Czech President and military man Petr Pavel. Photo by: Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.