Journalists deplore government attack against them

TIRANA, May 27 – Hundreds of journalists deplored the attack against them from Prime Minister Sali Berisha following a statement of the governing Democratic party deploring the fact they had ignored the death of another woman at Dritan Hoxha’s car.
A public letter signed by 121 journalists of different media outlets wrote that Berisha had launched a denigrating campaign toward the Albanian media surpassing the ethical, human and political standards trying to downgrade the late president of Top Media group. Journalists accused Berisha of trying to penalize them for an uncommitted act, as if they had hidden the death of Entela Hysko, which had been made public, though at a lower rate compared to Hoxha’s, by many of them. “We do acknowledge that in covering Dritan Hoxha’s death the Albanian media set the human solidarity before their professional commitment,” said the statement, adding they had not hidden any crime and do not feel guilty for something they had not done.
“Those who have hidden state crimes are in power in this country and are trying to save the authors,” the statement said referring to the government and the recent March 15 blast which killed 26 persons.
“The premier has declared warŮ He is barbarously exploiting the death of a woman, violating her privacy, only to demonstrate his hate,” it said. The journalists denounced such an attack as a grave act against the media freedom led by the premier, adding they were ready to cope with that.