Week in Review: Spyware, AI and Arrests

Damaging arrest Albania’s now-dismissed State Intelligence Service chief, Vlora Hyseni. Photo: LSA. Albania’s State Intelligence Service chief, Vlora Hyseni, was arrested and suspended for allegedly revealing state secrets and assisting an offender. While members of the ruling Socialist Party insists that any wrongdoing was on her part, the opposition again raised questions about her appointment to a top position. For the NATO member country, issues surrounding the integrity and reputation of the State Intelligence Service could undermine cooperation with the alliance, experts warned. Read more: Albanian Spy Chief’s Arrest a Major Blow to NATO Member’s Reputation (September 24, 2026) Spyware allegations Members of the Student Blockades protest group hold a press conference about the alleged spyware attacks, September 2, 2026. Photo: Marija Colakovic. The student movement in Serbia arose as the biggest opponent to the current government under President Aleksandar Vucic. Expectations are now on early parliamentary elections scheduled for October 25. But just a month before the polls, Serbia’s institutions have failed to address allegations that student protesters, politicians and activists were targeted with Pegasus, an advanced, military-grade spyware that can target devices remotely. Read more: Serbian Authorities Ridicule Spyware Attack Allegations Before Elections (September 24, 2026) AI misuse Voter at a polling station in Tirana during parliamentary elections in May 2025. Photo: EPA/MALTON DIBRA. Misuse of AI has already been seen in Albania during the ongoing anti-government “Flamingo Revolution” protests, and BIRN has identified many cases in which AI was used to disseminate false information that was then amplified through anonymous social media pages and accounts. As the country prepares for local elections in 2027, concerns are growing over the legislative gaps and limited technical capacity to address the misuse of AI in democratic processes. Read more: Albania ‘Not Ready for the Risks’ as AI Enters the Electoral Arena (September 23, 2026) Sentence protests Protest against the Hague verdict in Pristina, September 18, 2026. Photo: BIRN/Ardita Zeqiri. The verdict against Hashim Thaci, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli, and Rexhep Selimi sparked protests in Pristina, gathering thousands in the streets of Kosovo’s capital. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague convicted the four former Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, leaders of war crimes last week, sentencing them to 25, 25, 18 and 13 years in prison, respectively. Protesters see the verdict as an injustice, while the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, announced it was pushing for a change to the law underpinning the Hague court. Read more: ‘Our War is Being Judged’: In Kosovo, Outrage at Hague Verdict Simmers New Balkan realities EU and Balkan leaders prepare for a photo during the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tivat, Montenegro, June 2026. Photo: EPA/BORIS PEJOVIC. Experts say the geopolitical situation is changing dramatically, as Russia loses its capacity to shape and influence politics in the Western Balkans and the United States changes its role in international relations. In an opinion piece for Balkan Insight, Nikola Xaviereff, a Research Fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations Centre for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, predicts that the Western Balkans “will align to the zeitgeist of transactionalism with both liberal and authoritarian powers”. Read more: As Geopolitical Competition Intensifies, the EU’s Balkans Policy Must Adapt Escalating virus The tiger mosquito, which originates in Asian and African regions, has appeared in the Balkans in recent years. Photo: Jimmy Chan/Pixels. West Nile virus has hit Southern and Southeastern Europe this summer, with climate change seen as a big contributing factor. Cases in North Macedonia reached their highest level this year, with at least eight confirmed deaths. The situation has revealed that the country lacks targeted, updated measures to monitor, mitigate and prevent health issues related to the virus. Read more: West Nile Cases Escalate in North Macedonia, Spurring Calls for Action (September 21, 2026) Speaker’s journey Then presidential candidate Andrija Mandic gives a speech ahead of the elections in Podgorica, March 2023. Photo: EPA/BORIS PEJOVIC. Montenegro’s parliament failed to debate a motion to dismiss Andrija Mandic of the right-wing New Serbian Democracy party as speaker because there was no quorum to hold the session. The motion came after Mandic sent a message of condolence to the son of the former Bosnian Serb military commander and genocide convict Ratko Mladic following his recent death. This episode has renewed questions about how much Mandic’s politics have changed. The one-time opponent of Montenegro’s independence and NATO membership has become a speaker of parliament who now regularly speaks about Montenegro’s European future and works with European officials. Read more: Andrija Mandic: Montenegrin Speaker’s Journey from Serb Firebrand to EU Advocate (September 23, 2026)