Media in Albania, E. European violations in 2011

TIRANA, Jan. 6 – A media watchdog that monitors mostly former Communist southern and eastern European states said it received complaints of 684 serious cases of press freedom violations in 20 countries in 2011, including bomb attacks and attempted assassinations, frequently attributed to organized crime. The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organization, or SEEMO, said the cases also included physical assaults and death threats against journalists, as well as government intimidation in the form of travel bans and detention or imprisonment. Most serious violations were noted in Turkey and Belarus but there were also in Albania. The monitoring was held in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Turkey, and Ukraine. SEEMO Secretary-general Oliver Vujovic said most noted cases of imprisonment and court proceedings were in Turkey and Belarus; in the Balkan region they had seen pressure from authorities and also business people; and in Hungary, a European Union member, there were many legal challenges to the media. Press freedom violations included imprisonment; detention; physical assaults; travel bans; political, business and religious pressure; threats made by email, letter, telephone, or in person; bomb attacks; attempted assassinations; criminal charges; and house arrests. The source of threats and pressures was diversified, the statement said: politicians, business groups, often linked to mafia-style business dealings, religious organizations, actors, musicians, etc. In addition, economic issues further complicated journalists’ activities: obscure media ownership structures and hidden interests; problems with collective contracts or the lack of any contracts; and poor salaries. “The fight for press freedom is a daily struggle. We still have a long way to go,” said Vujovic.