A new network is created
“Sometimes you can’t close your eyes,” says Bujar Ejupi. "Even when you know what speaking out will cost you."
For Bujar, a civil engineer who spent years in Kosovo's aviation industry, the cost has been steep. He's lost his job twice for exposing corruption. He's faced professional attacks, retaliation and intimidation. But these experiences didn't silence him. They transformed him and today, with the founding of the Whistleblowers Support Initiative, he has become an advocate for others brave enough to tell the truth.
In 2016, Bujar revealed a major corruption scandal in the Civil Aviation Authority where he worked. At that time, Kosovo had no whistleblower protection law, and there was nothing to shield him from revealing the truth. Then in 2020, when as Head of the Air Traffic Authority, he exposed another corruption scheme. By then, the Law No. 06/L-085 on Protection of Whistleblowers had been on the books for two years.
It made no difference, and he was dismissed anyway.
"The legislation exists on paper,” Bujar says with the insight of experience. "But it's just tick-box exercise to show the EU that Kosovo is compliant. In practice, it protects no one. Senior government officials stay silent, or worse, they turn hostile towards people trying to do the right thing."
Bujar's experience was not unique. As he began speaking with other whistleblowers across Kosovo's public and private sectors, he heard the same story repeated: exposure, retaliation, isolation. Some whistleblowers have been forced to leave the country entirely, their careers destroyed and their safety compromised.
He realised there was a need to set up a network to support and empower whistleblowers. He saw this as the best way of pushing for better regulations and safeguards.
Building a network of courage
At the end of 2023, EED provided start-up funding to launch the Whistleblowers Support Initiative. Working with a legal expert and a journalist, both part-time, Bujar began building something unprecedented in Kosovo – a new network, where whistleblowers can find each other, learn from shared experiences, guide each other, and access resources they desperately need.
"When you're a whistle blower, you feel completely alone," Bujar says. "Knowing there are others who understand what you're facing changes everything."
The initiative has created a database of whistleblowers and has developed resources covering everything from navigating legal systems to working effectively with the media. They explain how to deal with institutions when reporting cases of corruption. More critically, they provide social and mental health support to people whose lives have been upended by doing what's right.
“We never lie to people about the risks,” he says frankly. "It can be dangerous to tell the truth in Kosovo. But we also help them understand that it’s the right thing to do. That’s a powerful motivation: knowing that you're acting in society’s best interest, not just your own.”
He relates that their focus is very much on creating societal impact, at the same time as trying to influence a change in attitude at state policy level.
Bujar believes that this support is essential in creating a culture where people are not afraid to speak out about instances of corruption.
2024: a year of reckoning
Bujar refers to 2024 as a "year of whistleblowing" for Kosovo. An avalanche of cases broke into public view, and the Whistleblowers Support Initiative was there to help people navigate them.
Maktir Dubrani, an employee from the Ministry of the Environment revealed that the Ministry was writing off the debts owned by bottled-water companies – a scandal that led to the detention of two senior officials.
Another whistleblower in the Ministry of Natural Reserves exposed a scheme where the Ministry was secretly purchasing natural reserves. When the authorities tried to terminate his contract in retaliation, he fought back. "And he won," says Bujar.
Bujar believes that these victories mark a sea-change in Kosovo and go beyond the individuals involved. Maktir Dubrani went on to win the 20024 Citizen Courage Award awarded by the FOL Movement, her courage pubicly recognised and celebrated.
“Today, I’m not the only well-known whistleblower” he says with a smile. "That's a good thing. If we can have someone like Maktir in every industry, then we can say we are truly successful. Whistleblowers like her are paving the way for others."
A long road ahead
Bujar is realistic about the challenges ahead. The culture in Kosovo has not fully shifted.
“It’s not easy to be a whistleblower,” he acknowledges. "People need to feel supported – by their community, by us, but also by government officials. We need genuine adherence to the whistleblowers’ legislation, not just words on paper. We need to see progress in all levels of society. Otherwise, people will get tired. They'll leave Kosovo. It's i important that they can see a future for themselves here,” he says.
That's why Bujar is working to connect Kosovo's whistleblowers with networks throughout Europe. This work of building international solidarity has become central to the initiative's mission.
“If you’re a whistleblower, the impact of your work goes well beyond Kosovo’s borders,” he says. "That’s important for people to know. This experience is hugely emotional, as I know well. It helps to understand that you have an international network of people standing behind you and supporting you. That matters more than legal support or administrative support. It means you are part of something much bigger than just yourself."
This article reflects the views of the grantees featured and does not necessarily represent the official opinion of the EED.
