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The Organization for Democracy, Anti-Corruption and Dignity – ÇOHU! was founded in September 2005 with the mission to contribute to the consolidation of democracy as a system of political, social, and institutional values in Kosovo, as well as to play an exceptionally important role within civil society by combating corruption, organized crime, and political patronage, while simultaneously promoting active citizenship engagement for accountability, transparency, and inclusiveness.

In its early years, ÇOHU! developed and led major public debates and activities aimed at highlighting the challenges and abuses that characterized the period before Kosovo’s declaration of independence, including the privatization process, the double standards of justice applied by UNMIK and local institutions, as well as the development of new methods of civic engagement in the country. 

After the declaration of Kosovo’s independence and the establishment of constitutional institutions, ÇOHU! has focused on strengthening the justice sector through analyses, public policy work, advocacy for better legislation, and consistent monitoring of the rule of law. The organization has deepened its engagement in the fight against corruption and the abuse of public office, filing criminal complaints and closely monitoring corruption cases involving high-ranking public officials within the judicial system.

Alongside its consistent engagement in thematic areas such as political party finances, asset declaration and conflict of interest of public officials, confiscation of illicit assets, nepotism, patronage, and corruption in healthcare, education, and public institutions and with the aim of advancing investigative research ÇOHU! established its investigative media branch, Gazeta Preportr, in 2010. Thus, ÇOHU! adopted a multidimensional approach through reports, analyses, activities, and investigative journalism, combining these methods of work to achieve concrete results in research and advocacy.

Through its various investigations, Preportr has uncovered some of the biggest post-war scandals in Kosovo. In addition to numerous investigative publications, Preportr has directly contributed to the development of investigative journalism in the country by organizing, for 12 consecutive years, the School of Investigative Journalism, where over 300 journalists and civil society activists have been trained. Preportr’s work has been recognized with major awards for investigative journalism from both local and international institutions, including the European Union Awards for Investigative Journalism.

ÇOHU! has a structure composed of four sectors: The Justice and Anti-Corruption Pillar, Investigative Journalism, Good Governance, and the Open Data Platform, all of which have been developed over the years with the support of international donors. ÇOHU! is a member of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the world’s largest network for investigative journalism on organized crime and corruption as well as the Southeast Europe Leadership for Development and Integrity Network (SELDI) and is in the process of further internationalization through participation in global civil society and civic engagement forums.

Currently, ÇOHU! is focusing on addressing issues of public importance, including exposing corruption affairs in primary and secondary sectors, promoting human rights, protecting the environment, and developing analytical work on public policies and legislation in the Republic of Kosovo.

This year, ÇOHU! marks its 20th anniversary. Over two decades of continuous work, ÇOHU! has demonstrated that the fight against corruption and the building of democratic institutions require sustained commitment, integrity, and broad social cooperation. With a strong tradition in promoting transparency, accountability, and investigative journalism, the organization remains committed to continuing to be a powerful voice for citizens in defense of democracy, justice, and dignity. 

 Some of Çohu!’s Priorities Over the Years 

Over the years, Çohu! has continuously produced reports and carried out activities against corruption, exposing corrupt practices and other abuses, opening important public debates, and advocating for institutional intervention even when the necessary institutional will and cooperation were lacking.

Justice and the rule of law have been among the key areas in which Çohu! has been actively engaged for two decades, through numerous reports and initiatives that have revealed extensive misuse and systemic shortcomings. One of the major issues Çohu! investigated and exposed for the first time several years ago was the statute of limitations of criminal cases. Çohu!’s research showed that more than 25,000 criminal cases were dismissed due to expiration between 2000 and 2019.
Even more concerning was the fact that many of these were corruption cases, meaning that the corrupt were escaping justice while their files, deliberately or negligently, remained buried at the bottom of court drawers across Kosovo. Çohu! also reported on the lack of accountability measures for judges whose cases were repeatedly dismissed due to the statute of limitations.

Monitoring of Courts and Other Key Focus Areas of Çohu!

Monitoring court proceedings related to corruption and organized crime cases has been one of Çohu!’s long-standing activities over the years. The organization has produced numerous reports highlighting systemic weaknesses, procedural flaws, and various challenges, while consistently offering concrete recommendations and referencing best practices from other countries to improve Kosovo’s justice system.

Public procurement has been another major focus of Çohu!, as it represents one of the main sources of corruption, manipulation, and misuse of public funds. In this regard, Çohu! has conducted several reports and analyses, and has monitored court cases dealing with abuse and fraud in public procurement. Findings from these reports, which revealed extensive irregularities and manipulations in procurement procedures, led Çohu! to elevate the issue to a matter of public debate and to successfully advocate for the inclusion of these offenses in the Criminal Code of Kosovo under a specific article.
Another consistent area of engagement for Çohu! has been asset declaration by public officials. Through in-depth research, analyses, and reports, the organization has exposed numerous deficiencies in the asset declaration process from the lack of accuracy and authenticity of declarations to the failures in verification mechanisms. Çohu! has continuously issued practical recommendations for improving this system.

Investigations carried out by Çohu! have revealed that the Anti-Corruption Agency often failed to conduct thorough verifications. While the Agency’s random checks frequently concluded that certain officials were compliant, Çohu!’s independent verifications conducted through municipal cadastral records uncovered numerous undeclared properties belonging to the same officials. Further investigations also showed that members of parliament and other public officials routinely failed to declare all their assets.
In light of these findings and the widespread false declarations by public officials, Çohu! prioritized and successfully advocated for the criminalization of false asset declarations, which are now recognized as a criminal offense in Kosovo’s Criminal Code.

In addition, Çohu! has filed criminal complaints with the prosecution authorities regarding these issues and other findings that emerged from its investigations.