Turkey issues 243 arrest warrants for military personnel

During the investigation over the Turkish coup attempt in the past summer 54 police operations and searches have been conducted, while the authorities ordered the arrest of 243 military personnel, including 11 officers, Haberkanal TV reported.  The military men were charged over using ByLock, a smart phone application that authorities believe was used by organisers of the coup.

US imposes sanctions against Milorad Dodik

US introduced sanctions against leader of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, Serbian radio b92 reported, quoting local paper Blic. According to the newspaper, the sanctions include a travel ban to the US soil and freezing of all assets of Dodik in the US and in other countries who support the measure. Late last year the US Embassy in Sarajevo rejected the request of Dodik for a diplomatic visa as he wanted to attend the ceremony of inauguration of the newly elected US president Donald Trump. Dodik has expressed regret that he could not attend the event as a representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Migrants in Belgrade live in parks, but refuse accommodation in temporary centers

Over a thousand migrants from the Middle East who are in Serbia and are waiting to cross the border to the EU continue to live on the streets of Belgrade, in abandoned houses and parks, but refuse to receive accommodation in temporary centers, news agency Tanjug reported. The biggest number of migrants lives in parks around the railway station and the bus station of the city. They refused accommodation in temporary camps because they see it as “a step back.” The Balkan migration route to Western Europe passes through Serbia. By some estimates, since the beginning of the migration crisis in the country, more than 1 million migrants passed through the country.

Anti-Soros movement created in Macedonia

In Macedonia a group of journalists and intellectuals have created the "Stop Operation Soros movement, or SOS." Members and initiators of the movement aim at working for the “de-Soros-isation of the country." According to them, the Open Society Foundation of Soros has a role in all subversive acts in Macedonia and it has financed these processes and monopolized the civic sector.

Romanians protest against amnesty of prisoners

Several thousand Romanians protested on the streets of Bucharest against the surprising plan of the new government to grant amnesty to thousands of prisoners in order to reduce "overcrowding of prisons." The plan affects about 2,500 people with sentences of up to five years who have not committed sexual offenses, violence and were not involved in corruption deals. For all prisoners over 60, pregnant women and those with children, the plan also envisages cutting sentences by half. Romania's Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu wants to start the measures immediately, without the approval of parliament or president.

Author: Stoimen Pavlov

English: Alexander Markov