fatjonamejdini.bsky.social
@fatjonamejdini.bsky.social
Journalist and researcher (not always in the same order) focused on the Western Balkans. Personal account.
In the past 20 years, criminal groups from Western Balkans have established a stronghold in South America. This positioned them as key players in European cocaine wholesale markets. However, their activities have also left a trail of blood behind. Read more:

globalinitiative.net/wp-content/u...
April 8, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Tomorrow at 2 PM (CEST), I’ll launch the report Cocaine Connections: Links Between the WB and SA. It explores the history and evolution of the presence of Balkan criminals in South America the current challanges and future considerations. Register below to join!

gitoc.heysummit.com/talks/cocain...
Global Initiative's Conference Room
A Talk by Sasa Djordjevic, Fatjona Mejdini & Renato Rivera
gitoc.heysummit.com
March 31, 2025 at 9:44 AM
🧵Turkish authorities extradited today to Albania the notorious drug trafficker, 45 yo. Dritan Rexhepi, one of the leaders of so-called "Kompania Bello." He was arrested in Istanbul on Nov 23 after fleeing house arrest in Ecuador. Previously, he escaped from 3 prisons in Europe.
January 8, 2025 at 1:53 PM
It's a pleasure to co-author this article in The New York Times about conversions to Catholicism in Kosovo, referred to as a return to the faith of the ancestors. This interesting movement, has also been accompanied by criticism.

www.nytimes.com/2025/01/04/w...
In Kosovo, Christian Converts Hope to Revive a Pre-Islamic Past
Christian converts in Kosovo, where the vast majority of people are Muslim, hope to revive a pre-Islamic past they see as a key to their European identity.
www.nytimes.com
January 4, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Reposted
@fatjonamejdini.bsky.social published an important report on sanctions in the Western Balkans over the last decade, which includes 166 sanctions on individuals and companies for engaging in corruption, linking to organised crime, and destabilising the region

see.globalinitiative.net/sanctions-da...
Western Balkans Sanctions Database
see.globalinitiative.net
December 19, 2024 at 11:15 AM
I'm pleased to be the co-author of a new report examining sanctions in WB. Over the past decade, 166 sanctions have been imposed on individuals & companies across the region. The US is responsible for 94% of them, while BiH received the highest number.
December 16, 2024 at 3:43 PM
On Monday we’re launching a report on sanctions in the Western Balkans, accompanied by a database listing every sanction from the past decade. Those interested can register to attend.

gitoc.heysummit.com/talks/sancti...
Global Initiative's Conference Room
A Talk by Fatjona Mejdini, Andrijana Pisarević, Ruggero Scaturro & Dr Matt Herbert
gitoc.heysummit.com
December 13, 2024 at 5:28 PM
Turkey received support in its bid from Greece, creating an unexpected alliance. The move eliminated changes of the Albanian foreign minister, who had been seen as a strong contender for the position of OSCE Secretary General.

www.reuters.com/world/middle...
Former Turkish ambassador elected new OSCE secretary general, Turkish source says
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe elected former Turkish Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu on Friday as its new secretary general, a Turkish diplomatic source said, filling a position that had been vacant since September.
www.reuters.com
December 7, 2024 at 12:36 PM
Global Initiative calls for action to protect Bosnian journalist threatened by organized crime.

globalinitiative.net/announcement...
The GI-TOC stands in solidarity with threatened Bosnian journalist
The GI-TOC strongly condemns the reported threats against Avdo Avdić, a respected journalist in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
globalinitiative.net
December 7, 2024 at 11:35 AM