In trying to control the pandemic narrative, governments in the region have turned to draconian tools, muzzling media, arresting critics and bombarding social media giants with requests to take down posts and shut down accounts.
Laws and counter-terrorism strategies in the Balkans demonstrate a failure on the part of governments to take seriously the threat from far-right extremism, according to a BIRN analysis.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said that secret negotiations have secured the return from Syria of several of the children of Islamic State fighters from Albania after years spent in refugee camps.
Evidence in terrorism cases is proving difficult to find, while experts warn that the reintegration and rehabilitation of foreign fighters is an even greater challenge.