European Federation of Journalists

Kosovo: media banned from entering the court


The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is joining its affiliate, the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), to denounce the ban on media to cover the initial hearing of the so-called “Land Fraud” case involving senior politicans and judges.

In a press release, AJK expressed its disagreement with the reasoning of the president of this panel, Arcadius Sedek, who justified the ban by the technical nature of the hearing. “We would like to draw attention to the judge that this session is of public interest” one can read in AJK press release.

This is the third court case where Kosovo courts decide to ban media and the public from entering the hearing.

The AJK and the EFJ are formally asking the court to open the doors to the media and the public. Transparency should be the fundamental principle for the proper functioning of the country’s institutions. “Closing the trial sessions is affecting directly its image and is preventing the media from doing their work”.