Attacks and pressures on journalists in Slavonski Brod (Croatia), Skopje (Macedonia) and Partes (Kosovo)

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is joining the call of the Western Balkan’s Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety in condemning the attacks and pressures on journalists, which happened in the last few days in Slavonski Brod (Croatia), Skopje (Macedonia) and Partes (Kosovo) : On Wednesday, August 23, journalists Visnja Ruzojcic from HRT and Aleksandra Primorac from the portal SBplus were physically attacked in Slavonski Brod. According to the reports of the SBplus portal, the journalists Primorac and Ruzojcic reported on the shooting, which happened during the previous night and in which one citizen was seriously injured.…

Macedonia: two journalists injured during storming of the Parliament

During a press conference today in Skopje (Macedonia), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) and Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) called on the Macedonian authorities to investigate the attacks against 10 journalists and media workers, during last night’s storming of the Macedonian parliament building by nationalist demonstrators. At least two journalists were injured in the attack, according to reports from the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (ZNM). Dimitar Tanurov, a reporter for the independent online news agency Meta, was taking pictures inside the parliament. He…

Macedonia: It is high time to stop violence against journalists!

Following ECPMF-EFJ-SEEMO-OBCT fact-finding mission to Macedonia, on 25th-28th April 2017, the four organisations issued this statement today, regarding rising violence against journalists in Macedonia: We hereby express our deep concerns about the yesterday‘s violent attacks against journalists in the parliament of the Republic of Macedonia. From the beginning of 2016 until yesterday at least 21 attacks against journalists in Macedonia have been registered by the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (ZNM), out of a total of several dozens within the last years. All this clearly demonstrates a rising trend in violence against journalists. The state of media freedom in the…

ECPMF fact-finding mission to Macedonia

ECPMF, OBCT, SEEMO and EFJ are organising an important fact-finding mission to Skopje, Macedonia. The EFJ will be represented by its General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez. The mission will focus on the recent attacks/violence against journalists, which are, to our knowledge, often not investigated. There will be a press meeting to release a first statement on Friday, 28th, at 10am. Background information: IREX Media Sustainability Report (2017) on Macedonia: https://www.irex.org/sites/default/files/pdf/media-sustainability-index-europe-eurasia-2017-full.pdf (p. 63-76) FreedomHouse Report (2016) (https://freedomhouse.org/country/macedonia). CPJ article: https://cpj.org/blog/2017/04/in-macedonia-anti-press-rhetoric-leaves-journalist.php#more The 9 alerts on Macedonia submitted to the CoE Platform for the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists; The news on Macedonia…

Alarming : at least 19 new attacks against journalists in Macedonia since 2016

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the largest organisation of journalists in Europe representing over 320,000 journalists in 71 journalists’ organisations across 43 countries, has received today (24/03/2017) an alarming letter from the WB Regional platform for advocating media freedom and journalists’ safety expressing “deepest concerns at the unprecedented attacks on journalists in the Republic of Macedonia”. Based on the fact reported by the Regional platform mentioning at least 19 new attacks against journalists since the beginning of 2016, the EFJ is calling Macedonian authorities to take concrete actions to prevent further attacks against journalists and media workers active in the country and…

Regional Platform call for termination of attacks against Macedonian journalists

Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety wants to express its solidarity and support to journalists and media workers in Macedonia faced with constant pressures, including physical attacks and death threats. We are especially concerned by the fact that coordinated attacks involve public officers and representatives of state institutions. In last four years in Macedonia there were 44 attacks against journalists, 19 of them last year. “The European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg confirmed violations of freedom of expression in Macedonia, but local institutions did not punish any of attackers against journalists”, says Naser Selmani, president of…

Macedonia: journalists attacked during protest

UPDATE (14.03.2017): Another attack against journalists happened on March 11 in Skopje. TV 24 crew was at first verbally abused and then one of their journalists Hristijan Banevski was hit in the head with a stick, during the protest “For a Unified Macedonia”. UPDATE (06.03.2017): Two more attacks against journalists took place in Macedonia after the TV crew was beaten during the protest. On March 1 Branko Trickovski was verbally abused by two young men near his home. The retired journalist is famous for his criticism of VMRO-DPMNE party. One of the attackers shouted at Trickovski and called him a traitor,…

Abuse of the media in transitional countries

EFJ affiliates in Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia are sending solidarity messages and support with journalists on strike in Macedonia. Please find below the letter sent to SSNM, the Independent Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers of Macedonia : Trade unions of journalists of Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia express full solidarity and support to SSNM (the Independent Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers of Macedonia) and to journalists of Utrinski vesnik, Dnevnik and Vest – three daily papers of the company Media print Macedonia (MPM) – who are in strike since 17 February 2017 due to unpaid salaries, obligatory contributions…