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The Guard obstructed the journalists in their work / Safe Journalists letter of concern to the Assembly

2024-10-18 14:41:00, Aktualitet CNA

The Guard obstructed the journalists in their work / Safe Journalists letter of

The SafeJournalists network sent a letter of concern to the Parliament of Albania to express our concern regarding the actions of the Guard of the Republic on October 17, 2024, which reflect a repeated and disturbing pattern of obstructing journalists' access and undermining media freedom.

That day, journalists covering parliamentary developments were denied access by the Guard. Not only were they prevented from filming at the entrance, where the MPs were coming amid heightened tensions, but they were also banned from entering the plenary session itself, according to reports from journalists and reporters.

The SafeJournalists network emphasizes that this incident is not isolated, but part of a disturbing, repeated pattern of limiting media access within the Albanian Parliament. Similar incidents were documented by the SafeJournalists Network over the past year, including on October 9, 2023, when journalists were denied access to parliamentary premises for unclear reasons. Other incidents followed in 2024.

On February 6, journalist Ardit Hoxha was physically pushed and pushed away by the Garda, preventing him from filming, on May 17, media teams were prevented from filming a meeting with the dismissed RTSH journalists, despite the formal request and public announcement; on 30 May, journalists were obstructed during a plenary session as the Guard tried to remove them from the gallery. Most recently, on October 3, 2024, journalists were physically prevented from entering parliamentary proceedings when the main entrance was deliberately closed.

The SafeJournalists network calls on the Parliament of Albania to address this issue with the urgency and seriousness it requires, taking into account the concerns raised by journalists. The SafeJournalists Network hopes that immediate steps will be taken to create an environment where journalists can exercise their right to report freely, as this is a fundamental pillar of any democratic society. /CNA





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