816 firearm incidents recorded in South East Europe from January to March 2021

New South East Europe Armed Violence Monitor Quarterly Regional Report is Published

The just-published Armed Violence Monitoring Platform (AVMP) recorded 816 firearm-related incidents in the region from January to March 2021. Some of the main findings are:

  • 816 firearm incidents took place.
  • 378 cases of weapon seizures were observed, and they continue to be the most reported type of firearm incident in the region.
  • 126 armed robberies were reported.
  • 16 people committed suicide using a firearm.
  • Five women were killed in domestic violence with a firearm.
  • The highest number of firearm incidents in this reporting period was in January.
  • Men accounted for 98.5% of all perpetrators, of those whose sex was reported.
  • 33 people were killed with firearms during this reporting period.

To read the whole report, please click here, and to follow the information published on AVMP, please click here.

The AVMP monitors firearms-related incidents happening in South-East Europe. Established in 2014, it collects detailed data from the media reports and reports of public institutions where available, covering Albania, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Kosovo*.

The collected data range from the type of incident, firearms used, age and gender of the victim and the perpetrator, outcome of the incident, etc.

The AVMP aims to make essential data available to all interested parties and serve as an informative tool for interventions with the overarching goal of a more effective arms control framework and reducing their negative impact on civilians.

The AVMP is supported with funding from the EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/2111 to support SEESAC disarmament and arms control activities in South-East Europe, reducing the threat of illicit small arms and light weapons their ammunition.

* Reference to Kosovo shall be understood in the context of the Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)

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