EU Investigative Journalism Awards 2023: Meet the Winners

The EU Investigative Journalism Award 2023 has officially concluded. Celebrating the most compelling investigative stories from the Western Balkans and Türkiye, these awards highlight journalism that contributes to freedom of expression, the rule of law, transparency, and delves into a wide array of critical topics affecting national and regional dynamics.

We are excited to share the awarded stories:

ALBANIA

• 1^st prize, Aurora Velaj, Euronews Albania, “Po na shujn!” (“They are whipping us out!”)
• 2^nd prize, Osman Stafa, Investigative Network of Albania, “Mungesa e ilaçeve në QSUNT rrezikon jetën e fëmijëve, që vuajnë nga tumori” (“The lack of medicines in QSUNT endangers the lives of children suffering from tumors”)
• 3^rd prize (Tied) Anila Hoxha, Reporter.al, “Sekret shtetëror: Historia pa lavdi e degradimit të flotës ajrore shqiptare” (“State secret: The inglorious history of the degradation of the Albanian air fleet”)
• and Artan Rama, Investigative Network of Albania,  “Kush e kontrollon Butrinti” (“Who manages Butrint?”)

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

• 1^st prize, Semira Degirmendžić, Fokus.ba, “Turski Cengiz dobio poslove od milijardu maraka, a bh. radnicima neće da isplati odštete” (“Turkish Cengiz got deals worth a billion marks, but will not pay compensation to the workers”)
• 2^nd prize (Tied), Predrag Blagovčanin, Tacno.net, “Između HDZ-a i DF-a: Kako je Ministarstvo odbrane BiH zaštitilo ratnog zločinca” (“Between HDZ and DF: How the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina protected a war criminal”)
• and Džana Brkanić and Lamija Grebo, BIRN: “Uslovne kazne ne sprečavaju širenje mržnje” (“Suspended sentences do not prevent the spread of hatred”)
• 3^rd prize, Arduana Pribinja, Al Jazeera Balkans, “Zloupotreba pacijenata u Sarajevu: Lažne dijagnoze za skupocjene lijekove” (“Abuse of patients in Sarajevo: False diagnoses for expensive drugs”)

KOSOVO

• 1st prize, Kreshnik Gashi, Kallxo.com, “Blerja e Kryeprokurorit I dhe II” (“The Purchase of the Chief Prosecutor I and II”)
• 2^nd prize, Dafina Halili, Kosovo 2.0, “Shkolla fantazmë, shkolla geto e ndërrime të segreguara” (“Ghost Schools, Ghetto Schools and Segregated Shifts”)
• 3^rd prize, Saranda Ramaj, Koha, “Abuzimet me Fondin per Trajtim Jashte Institucioneve Publike” (“Abuses of the Outpatient Treatment Fund”)

NORTH MACEDONIA

• 1^st prize, Sashka Cvetkovska, Elena Mitrevska Cuckovska, Maja Jovanovska, and Trifun Sitnikovski, IRL Macedonia, “Нечиста крв” (“Bad Blood”)
• 2^nd prize, Frosina Dimeska, Prizma, “Избеган украински политичар под санкции на САД, добил македонско државјанство”  (“Ukrainian politician who escaped under US sanctions, received Macedonian citizenship”)
• 3^rd prize, Miomir Serafinovic, Snezana Lupevska, TV Telma,  KOD, “КОД: Државата не наплати пари од пресудено кривично дело-(Не)успешната конфискација на Трансмет”  (“CODE: The state did not collect money from a convicted crime-(Un)successful confiscation of Transmet”)

MONTENEGRO

• 1st prize, Đurđa Radulović, CIN-CG, Vijesti, “Nasilje o kom se ćuti – porodilišta krše preporuke SZO” (“Silence Surrounding Violence – Maternity Wards Violate WHO Recommendations”)
• 2^nd prize, Olivera Lakić, Libertas Press, for her series of articles shedding light on high-level corruption within the Montenegrin judicial system and uncovering crime and corruption within Montenegrin police structures.
• 3^rd prize (Tied), Dejan Milovac, NVO MANS and ND Vijesti,  “Pandora Papiri: Ruski offshore milioni za luksuzne nekretnine u Crnoj Gori” (“Pandora Papers: Russian offshore millions for luxury real estate in Montenegro”)
• and Vladimir Otasević, Jovo Martinović, Marko Vešović and Andras Kiraly (RTV Nikšić, Istraživački portal LUPA), “Tajna E-gambling afera” (“Secret E-gambling Affair”)

SERBIA

• 1^st prize, Stevan Dojčinović, Bojana Jovanović, Milica Vojinović, Ana Adžić, KRIK, “Serijal priča o klanu Darka Šarića” (Series of stories about Darko Šarić’s clan)
• 2^nd prize (Tied), Stefan Marković, Teodora Ćurčić, Jovana Tomić, Ivana Milosavljević, Vladimir Kostić, CINS, “Finansiranje političkih partija” (“Financing of political parties”)
• and Jelena Zorić, BIRN, “Klinička istraživanja i lažne dijagnoze” (“Clinical research and false diagnosis”)
• 3^rd prize (Tied), Vuk Cvijić, NIIN, for his investigations about the connections between criminal circles and high state officials,
• and Dina Đorđević, Marija Ristić, Jovana Tomić and Saša Dragojlo, CINS, BIRN, for “Series of Stories: Paths of Serbian Weapons” (“Serijal priča: Putevi srpskog oružja”)

TÜRKIYE

• 1^st prize, Murat Ağırel, Yeniçağ Gazetesi, “Uyuşturucu Kıskacında Türkiye” (“Türkiye in the grip of drugs”)
• 2^nd prize, Doğu Eroğlu, Medyascope, “Belgelerle BTK-gate” (“BTK-gate with Documents”)
• 3^rd prize, Çiğdem Toker, Sözcü Gazetesi, “Atatürk Havalimanı’na Millet Bahçesi Operasyonu” (“National Garden Operation at Atatürk Airport”)

This year, aside from national awards, the EU Award introduced a regional award, targeting the best stories from the entire region, but also supporting collaborations between journalists in the Western Balkans region and Türkiye.

Regional winners are:

• 1^st prize, Sashka Cvetkovska, Elena Mitrevska Cuckovska, Maja Jovanovska, Trifun Sitnikovski, IRL Macedonia, “Нечиста крв” (“Bad Blood”)
• 2^nd prize, Dragan Stanimirović, Al Jazeera Balkans, “Bitka za Neretvu” (“Battle for Neretva”)
• 3^rd prize, Saša Dragojlo, BIRN, “Krijumčar-prevodilac i “major Deki”: Tvrdnje o kriminalu uz policijsku pomoć” (“With Police Connections, Serbian-Syrian Translator Turned People-Smuggler”)

Congratulations to all the winners!

The EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2023 is part of the project “Strengthening Quality Journalism in Western Balkans and Türkiye II”. The project is funded by the European Union, and it is implemented by a consortium composed of Balkan Investigative Reporting Network – BIRN Hub, Central European University (CEU) – Hungary, Association of Journalists (AJ) – Türkiye, Thomson Media (TM) – Germany, University Goce Delcev Stip (UGD) – North Macedonia, The Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) – North Macedonia, Media Association of South-East Europe (MASE) – Montenegro and Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Kosovo (BIRN Kosovo).