Winning stories tackled tragic fate of Balkan lynx, pandemic profiteers and over-employment in a government ministry.

The three best investigative stories in Kosovo published in 2020 were awarded in Pristina on Thursday, July 15, 2021.

Murat Ağırel, Hale Gönültaş, Volkan Nakiboğlu and Fevzi Kızılkoyun are the winners of this year’s EU Awards for Investigative Journalism, given for stories published in 2020 in Turkey.

Winners tackled a range of issues ranging from the Azeri ruling family’s shady involvement in a resort to mafia gang warfare – and how the son of a fugitive former president made a fortune in Serbia.

European Broadcasting Union Academy (EBU Academy) in cooperation with editors and journalists from BIRN and CINS is organising a training in investigative journalism and encourages young journalists to apply.

Three investigative stories on Tuesday were awarded the EU Award for Investigative Journalism, as the best stories from Albania in 2020.

In the last few years, the number of violent protests in the region has increased, as well as the number of incidents involving journalists who reported from inside the demonstrations. The violence is not only carried out by dissatisfied citizens, but also by members of the police force, so when reporting it is essential to be prepared and stay safe.

Applications are now open for submission of investigative articles.

Adam Santovac, Jelena Veljkovic, Aleksandar Djordjevic, Nemanja Rujevic, Sanja Kljajic and Ajdin Kamber were announced on December 29 as the winners of this year’s EU Awards for Investigative Journalism, given for stories published in 2019 in Serbia.

The jury awarded four journalists for “uncovering previously unexplored areas”, stressing that investigative journalism is of great importance for Kosovo and a wider region.