VOA: Attacks and threats against journalists are increasing in Albania

2023-05-03 19:17:58, Aktualitet CNA

In Albania, journalists are increasingly working in an insecure environment. Associations that protect media freedom report increasing cases of attacks, threats and pressures against them. The impunity of the perpetrators of these attacks remains a concern for journalists. But in many cases, apart from politics, they feel threatened by other groups, including business and organized crime. The Voice of America spoke to several journalists who have been harmed while exercising their profession. They express concern that digital attacks have also increased, as well as what are called SLAPP lawsuits, which aim to intimidate journalists in the hope that they will withdraw.

Organizations that monitor the freedom of expression and the rights of journalists and representatives of this community in Albania report that during the last years the security climate for journalists has deteriorated. They have been the target of physical, verbal and intimidating attacks by law enforcement, the world of politics, business and organized crime. Finally, one of the serious cases was the gun attack on the building of the national television Top Channel, in the capital. Violence against journalists extends, according to press freedom reporters, to local media as well. Elvis Hila from the city of Lezha, who was physically attacked while reporting a news story about the court's conviction of a person for falsifying documents, told the Voice of America that in small towns journalists feel even more endangered.

"It is very difficult to report various events, but also situations related to the state, as we face constant pressure and blackmail," said Elvis Hila, Report TV journalist.

The network of safe journalists in Albania told the Voice of America that the sources of threats and attacks against journalists have increased. They also come from business leaders or their employees in cases when journalists investigate violations of the law, such as the threat of a gun to the crew of the Fiks Fare show.

Some time ago, the filming crew of the investigative show "Stop" was also raped and prevented from performing their duties by a relative of a notary in the city of Fier. But with the development of digital technology, journalists are increasingly encountering a new form of violence, that of social networks.

"Journalists as individuals and not all media organizations are prepared to face cyber attacks, or other online violence attacks. In these cases, we have noticed that there have been more attacks on women journalists or young journalists", said Blerjana Bino, representative of the Safe Journalists Network in Albania, for the Voice of America.

One of the female journalists, Anila Hoxha, who while reporting on a criminal event, was raped together with a cameraman colleague, by a police officer, says that what she experienced later on her social networks was even worse.

"From what I found at that time, during the following days, were the attacks on my social networks. They were oriented, with false addresses, organized, threatening, blackmailing and imperceptible" - said Anila Hoxha, Top Channel journalist, for Voice of America.

Even the Union of Albanian Journalists underlines the concern over digital attacks against journalists.

"Only for the first 3 months of this year, we have over 25 complaints about online threats, on journalists' social networks, and in email addresses. Something like this has never happened before. And most of these cases have to do with anonymous persons, who are used to blackmail and verbally threaten journalists," said Aleksandër Çipa, head of the Union of Albanian Journalists, for VOA.

VOA: Attacks and threats against journalists are increasing in Albania

Aleksandër Çipa, president of the Union of Albanian Journalists

Journalist Klodiana Lala has been threatened on several occasions. The shooting incident at her parents' home is still under investigation. She underlines that online attacks and anonymous threats have increased today, of which she has also been a victim. These attacks are difficult to detect, Ms. Lala tells VOA.

"It is quite difficult to prove to the institutions. For institutions, it is an occasion to investigate only when there are serious consequences or injuries. In other cases, they say - where is the proof that you were intimidated or threatened" - Klodiana Lala, journalist of News 24 Television, told Voice of America.

Journalist Klodiana Lala

Since January 1, 2022 and until April of this year, the Network of Safe Journalists in Albania has registered 11 cases of threats and attacks against journalists. The police told the Voice of America that they have processed 10 and 7 of them have been referred to the prosecutor's office.

In 3 cases, the journalists were harmed by the police officers themselves, while the authorities say that measures were taken against them according to the law. Only 5 reported cases are currently under investigation in the investigative bodies, for this period.

Journalist Anila Hoxha says that the prosecution sent a request to the court to dismiss the case against the police officer who raped her and her colleague while covering a criminal event, and shows the reason why she did not appeal this decision.

"I did not appeal. The impact of the digital attack was difficult for me," she says.

Journalist Anila Hoxha

Even Alfred Lela, during the protest for the demolition of the national theater building, at that time head of the politiko.al portal, was raped by the police. This case was also suspended by the prosecution in May of last year. Although the prosecution informs that he has been notified of this decision, Mr. Lela says that he has not been informed.

"That tells the whole story. So, how do we feel doubly unprotected, both by the police in the first instance, and by the prosecution through its murky and countless channels" - said Alfred Lela, head of the "Politiko" portal, for the Voice of America. al".

Organizations that protect the rights of journalists express concern about the impunity of the perpetrators of attacks and threats against journalists. They say that this prevents journalists from reporting cases of violence against them.

"Impunity gives signals that nothing happens to journalists by attacking them. This has to end. The police, the prosecutor's office and the court should pay more attention to attacks and threats against journalists," said Valbona Sulçe, Women's Media Network, for the Voice of America.

One of the forms of threats to journalists are lawsuits filed against them in Court. Besar Likmeta and Aleksandra Bogdani of the Balkan Network of Investigative Journalism say that they were sued by businessman Mirel Mërtiri two years ago, after an investigative article about the incinerator affair, for which there was public interest.

Journalists Likmeta and Bogdani have won the case in the court of first instance. These lawsuits known as "SLAPP" are intended to cause fear and silence among journalists.

"It is considered such by organizations that protect the rights of journalists, that is, as an example of SLAPP lawsuits, which aim to force journalists to withdraw. But the fact remains that such an issue comes at a cost to journalists. You will face a long time in court. Matters last. Even though you may have substantiated the article with evidence and facts, this does not stop businessmen who are paid with public money, from using this public money to intimidate journalists," Besar Likmeta, editor-in-chief of BIRN, said to the Voice of America. .

Journalist Klevin Muka

The community of journalists notes with concern that the hate speech of female politicians, insults and contempt further encourage violence against journalists and aim to delegitimize them. This language, according to them, has also been encountered among high officials. Prime Minister Edi Rama, in some cases, has refused to answer the questions of journalists and has subsequently prohibited them from following his meetings with the media, as in the case of journalist Klevin Muka.

"I wanted to highlight the conflict of interest in the case of the question addressed to Minister Olta Xhaçka, and I managed to do it. The prime minister's concept for what he calls re-education is "either you are free in the line that you are allowed, so you are not free, or you no longer have a job here". The second one happened to me" - Klevin Muka, journalist of Panorama TV, told VOA.

Exposed to pressures, threats and attacks, journalists in Albania work in a difficult terrain and in most cases are completely unprotected, both by the media where they work and by the law enforcement authorities. Concern over physical security, blackmail and pressure on them was also highlighted in the latest DASH report. Today, journalists and freedom of expression, according to researchers, are threatened by several directions, and not only by politics.

They say that in Albania there is freedom of the press, but no independent press. In many cases, journalists are censored by the owners themselves who protect the interests of their businesses through the media, are self-censored or are threatened and attacked by the business world and organized crime. These circumstances put them in unfavorable positions to exercise their profession freely and independently./ VOA