Serbian President’s Party Tied to Football Hooligans

The official photos of the May 31 inauguration of Aleksandar Vucic present an idyllic scene  --  for good reason.

Even as Serbia’s new president pledged to do his utmost to preserve “human and minorities’ rights and freedoms,” men outside the building were forcefully removing inconvenient protesters and journalists.

Young men assault anti-Vucic protesters during the new Serbian president's inauguration ceremony on May 31. (Photo: E-stock.us/Aleksandar Bačlija)

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Mafia Boss: “The State is Me.”

ROME, Italy - On a hot night in early July, the southern Italian region of Calabria woke to the roar of helicopters and the wail of police sirens.

Shrouded in darkness, more than a thousand policemen in full military gear swept the streets of 19 towns on the very toe of Italy’s boot, entering neighborhoods where they seldom go.

(Photo: Eneas De Troya, CC-BY 2.0)

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Romanian​ ​Politician Named in Scandal Hits Back at Journalists: “Peace is Over”

The Bucharest office of RISE Project, an Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) partner, underwent an unannounced inspection by the anti-fraud bureau of Romania’s National Fiscal Agency (ANAF) even as important Romanian politicians threatened the outlet in both public and private.

Officers from the Romanian Anti-Fraud Authority at the offices of RISE Project, OCCRP's Romanian partner, during a surprise inspection. (Photo: RISE Project)

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Watchdogs Cite Shortcuts, Accidents at Belarus Nuclear Plant Construction Site

The ongoing construction of Belarus’ first nuclear power plant has sparked a number of serious concerns in that country and in its neighbors, both over the plant’s ultimate safety and the secrecy with which it is being built.

The nuclear power plant under construction in Belarus (Photo: onliner.by; Maxim Tarnalitskiy).

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Emails Allegedly Belonging to Russian Lawyer Reveal Hidden Influence on Magnitsky Case Investigations

Corporate lawyer Andrei Pavlov is one of just a few dozen Russian citizens targeted for sanctions by the European Parliament (EP). He is neither a government official, nor a judge, nor a member of the secret services, nor a law enforcement officer. Nor is he a well-known figure even in his native country.

A Jan. 13, 2013 march against the "Law of Scoundrels," which forbade adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens, in Moscow. (Photo: Sergei Nekhlyudov, CC BY-SA 2.0)

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Missing Journalist Sparks Protests, Conflicting Stories

Authorities in Azerbaijan and Georgia are facing mounting criticism for their possible role in the apparent kidnapping of Afgan Mukhtarli, the Azerbaijani journalist who disappeared from Tbilisi on May 29 and was next seen two days later being led into a Baku courtroom.

Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli is brought to court in Baku, Azerbaijan on May 31 after disappearing from Tbilisi, Georgia, where he lives. (Photo: Reuters/Aziz Karimov)

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How Macedonia’s Scandal-plagued Nationalists Lobbied America’s Right and Pulled Them Into an Anti-Soros Crusade

Until late last year, a mention of Macedonia in the halls of power in Washington, DC, would most likely elicit only shrugs.

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Hiding in Plain Sight: Wanted Pair Remains Free in Diplomatic Face-Off

Two men convicted of serious crimes—one of attempted murder, the other of soliciting a murder—are free because the Czech Republic and Armenia can’t agree to swap the criminals in the interests of justice.

Andranik Soghoyan, in black shirt, wears sunglasses and handcuffs during his Prague trial. (Czech Press Agency photo)

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Ukraine’s Top Bank Lent Owner’s Lieutenants $1 Billion Before Nationalization

Between mid-2015 and mid-2016, Privatbank, the largest bank in Ukraine, handed out over US$ 1 billion in loans to firms owned by seven top managers and two subordinates of its owner at the time, Ihor Kolomoisky, according to a copy of its 2016 loan book reviewed by a reporter for OCCRP. Subsequently, in December 2016, the bank was nationalized after the government found that it was severely undercapitalized, threatening the country’s financial system.

The headquarters of Privatbank in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo: Privatbank)

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Leaked Documents Show Russian, Serbian Attempts to Meddle in Macedonia

Secret intelligence documents obtained by OCCRP and partners show how Russian and Serbian operatives in Macedonia have worked to pry the fragile Balkan nation away from the West.

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