BIRN Albania Calls for Investigations on Organised Crime and Money-Laundering

• Eligibility criteria:
  – the call only applies to journalists from Albania
• Type of funding: Programmatic
• Target country: Albania
• Application language: Albanian

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) Albania has launched an open call for investigative stories to offer grants for three journalists to produce articles on the themes of organised crime and money laundering. The call is part of the project ‘Raising Awareness and Accountability on Money-Laundering in Albania’, which is supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The goal of this project is to strengthen the fight against organised crime and money-laundering by raising awareness and strengthening the accountability of the system for the seizure and confiscation of the illegal proceeds of crime. Three journalists will be awarded grants to cover their expenses while conducting investigations and writing their stories.

The journalists will have around three months to dig deeper and research their ideas, and will also have the opportunity to work with experienced editors as mentors to guide them through the process of writing in accordance with BIRN’s standards.

Priority in selection will be given to proposals which include one of the following topics, suggested as a priority during a roundtable discussion between journalists and civil society representatives organized by BIRN Albania: Money laundering through the construction sector in Albania; Money laundering through cryptocurrencies and the financial sector Involvement of organized crime in the exploitation of extractive industries. Involvement of organized crime in public tenders; Extent of Albanian organized crime in Europe; International narcotics trafficking from Albanian-speaking organized crime; Confiscated properties and difficulties in using them for social causes; Administration of confiscated assets of state-organized crime; Court rulings overturning severe sentences against members of criminal gangs; Trafficking in human beings from Albania / Middle East countries to the EU.

See here to learn more and apply.