Attack on journalists denounced

TIRANA, Feb. 1 – Media organizations and the international community denounced the attack on journalists at a violent riot last month in which three opposition supporters were shot dead.
The South and East Europe Media Organization urged the Albanian authorities to protect journalists and to take legal steps against those who attacked journalists at the opposition Jan. 21 anti-government riot.
They also denounced the request made from the parliamentary commission probing the Jan. 21 riot to see the phone calls of four journalists.
OSCE Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth, while stressing the need to fully and swiftly investigate the violent events of Jan. 21, urged all relevant bodies to follow the rule of law and to respect independence and freedom of the media.
“Media plays a pivotal role in democracy and in a free society. I urge all institutions to support the media in their high duty to make factual information accessible for the public. This has to be done according to the law, in a spirit of freedom and democracy. Journalists must be able to trust that this is the basis for their professional work, also providing opinion as a contribution to guidance” Wollfarth said.
The Union of the Albanian Journalists said it “is alarmed” at the decision of the investigative parliamentary commission to see the phone calls of four journalists … “which runs counter to the right of journalists to be independent, free in the information work.”
“Such a decision violates the right of privacy and openly threatens the colleagues of being involved in the harsh political confrontation,” says a statement
“We compliment the reporters, journalists and photographers who were brave enough to go to the streets during that troubled time and for still trying to fulfill their duties in such hazardous circumstances,” said Vujovic. “Such attacks are unacceptable, and it is particularly worrying if they are coming from the National Guard who is supposed to function as a safeguard of rules and order within a society.”
SEEMO urged Albanian authorities to make every attempt to protect journalists as they report on conflict and other sensitive issues. SEEMO also asks the high authorities in Albania to deal with the abuse of journalists and to take legal steps against those responsible for attacks on journalists.
“If media representatives are too frightened to go out on the streets and report during such an event, the general public will be left uninformed and ignorant. That is unacceptable for a country that is considered democratic,” added Vujovic.
The media independence is likely to be one of the top issues that European envoys who will come to Tirana will address.