Avni Zogiani
I think that the organized crime that has been connected to political parties has been chiefly financed from public funds; whereas the part of organized crime involved in human trafficking and drug trafficking has represented a sort of independent structure that time after time was protected by political parties, but not necessarily directly connected to them. They have often been found to enjoy protection also from the judicial system: from the prosecutor's office and so on.
Avni Zogiani works to confront corruption in politics in Kosovo. His work aligns him against powerful interests in organised crime and politics, and has led to numerous threats against Avni and his family. The human rights defender is a member of the Organisation for Democracy and Anti-Corruption (Çohu) a leading organization in Kosovo in the fight against organized crime and political corruption. Çohu was established in September 2005 by a group of young scholars and journalists. Avni Zogiani also works with the Kosovo Centre for Investigative Journalism (KCIJ) – a branch of ÇOHU that help investigative journalists to carry out their work by offering training and help with research.
