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 the Association of Journalists of Macedonia.
Members of Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety call for Macedonian institutions to stop any violence against journalists and to quickly and efficiently investigate all attacks, as well as to punish perpetrators.
The Regional Platform strongly supports the Association of Journalists of Macedonia and its efforts to protect journalists and freedom of speech. At the same time we call for international organizations that protect media freedom and journalists’ rights to put additional pressure to Macedonian administration and persuade them to understand they should value freedom of speech, freedom of media and journalists.
Every attack against journalists is attack against public interest, democracy and rights of all citizens.
Association of BH Journalists
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
