VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS ON THE RISE IN KOSOVO

ATRC, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and the Association of Professional Journalists of Kosovo (APJK) organized a public discussion at ATRC on 13 January to discuss the rise of incidences involving violence against journalists in Kosovo. Police response to such cases, journalists’ working conditions and institutional pressure for independent media were the focus of the debate, in which the media, NGOs and police representatives participated.

Jeta Xharra BIRN Country Director, Fatos Bytyçi
Chairman of APJK, Sabit Rrustemi Spokesperson
for the Gjilan Municipal Assembly, Fatmire Terdevci
Koha Ditore newspaper journalist, Refki Morina
Spokesperson for the Kosovo Police Service,
Afrim Ahmeti Prishtina Regional Police Commander
and Petrit Selimi Express newspaper director.

Jeta Xharra, BIRN Country Director, moderated the discussion. Panelists included Fatos Bytyçi - Chairman of APJK, Sabit Rrustemi - Spokesperson for the Gjilan Municipal Assembly, Fatmire Terdevci - Koha Ditore newspaper journalist, Refki Morina - Spokesperson for the Kosovo Police Service, Afrim Ahmeti - Prishtina Regional Police Commander and Petrit Selimi - Express newspaper director.

Panelists identified three types of pressures journalists that face in their daily work: physical pressure, lack of access to information and financial pressure.  

Participants were shown filmed material of two cases of violence against journalists. The discussion that followed focused on the behavior of police and other authorities towards journalists, journalists’ behavior and disciplinary measures for responsible individuals.

“There were 20 cases of violence against journalists in 2005. The worst incidents were caused by the police,” Bytyqi said.
According to APJK, two major problems contributing to police behavior with journalists are a lack of training for police on how they should interact with the media and KPS police refusals to be shown on television.

Refki Morina, spokesperson for the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) said that KPS had taken disciplinary measures against police officers who overstepped their boundaries. “We have tried to help journalists,” he said.  

KPS representatives urged journalists to maintain continuous contact with the police.