The work of journalists hinders wrongdoers and corrupts

Justice Minister Abelard Tahiri said today he is aware that there is still room for improving the state of freedom of expression, while offering his full support for journalists not to stumble in their work.

He made these comments at the journalists' security table organised by Democracy Plus in co-operation with the online newspaper Insander, where he discussed the institutional steps being taken in uncovering and prosecuting persons who threaten or attack journalists during their work.

According to the Journalists' Association, 38 cases of journalists' attacks and threats have been recorded in Kosovo during 2017, which is considered on the rise compared to previous years.

Minister Tahiri has said that a democratic society stands out for freedom of expression, because freedom of expression contributes to the fight against corruption and organised crime.

“Freedom of expression also contributes to the fight against organised crime and corruption, as well as other abuses of public office. Freedom of expression is not something that is subject to the particular will of the authorities, but it is an uncontested, defined and protected right to the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. Therefore, we are aware that there is still room for improvement of this situation, but I am sure that Kosovo institutions, despite their fragility, are on the right track, on the right track to provide legal infrastructure and adequate protection for freedom of expression. The product of free and unhindered journalism in the exercise of profession is an important contribution to developing the democracy of a country”, Tahiri stressed.

He has said he is aware that perpetrators, criminals, people who are involved in corrupt relationships always mind the work of journalists.

During this mandate as long as I am minister of justice, I will be a partner of yours and we will work together where we can within capacity, making legal infrastructure, so that no circumstances for freedom of speech can be violated and journalists' work as little as hindered. I know that criminals, criminals, people who are involved in corrupts will always stumble you, will try to stop you, but on the other hand, I think you have strong supporters, such as institutions, civil society, and I encourage you to do your next job”, Tahiri said.

Isuf Zamena from Democracy + has said that cases of threats and attacks on journalists have marked increases in recent years. This, according to him, presents a major problem for journalists to write to people who are powerful or close to power.

He added that courts are proving they have a soft hand against journalists' attackers because there have been decisions with very low penalties.

“We have an increase in the number of cases in 38 for attacks and threats against journalists, since only a year earlier in 2016 we have had only 12 reported cases, whereas in 2013, if I am not mistaken there has been not even a reported case of threats or physical attacks on journalists. This parks a huge problem in what journalists feel free to report and write to those considered powerful or close to power”, Zeynep has said.

Parim Oluri, executive director in the online newspaper Insider, has said that the phenomenon facing journalists is the language of hatred through social networks, so, the Kosovo Police, according to him, in dealing with such cases is not too open to journalists' threats as they are quick reacters of politicians' threats.

He has called the Court's decision to attack journalist Vehbi Cateazit absurd, with only four months' sentence.

You cannot introduce any cases in the report today as an analysis, when a threat or an attacker of journalists has been convicted by Kosovo courts. We have the case of colleague Vehbiou, he has been sentenced to four months or three months on probation. So if someone attacks a journalist in the middle of the day, gets on condition, and the same is still seen in downtown Pristina, drinking coffee with people that Vehbiu wrote two or three days before the attack for them, then it gives a power to attackers who can attack when they want journalism, because the state doesn't take a single amount of”, Oluri said.

Besim Kelmendi of the Prosecutor, has said he is very sorry for any cases that happen to journalists, because journalists write of any evil done to Kosovo citizens. He has said that since 1999-2016 there were over 120 journalists, some of them killed and threatened.

For this reason, he said he is required to become a fully independent judicial police officer.

“I have asked every time to consider even the possibility of forming judicial police and we are at a stage when we are considering the change and completion of the criminal procedure code, and this would probably be the most serious proposal to form a judicial police, which would be fully independent of the” policy, Kelmendi said.

At this table, it also told them that journalists are not allowed access to public documents in state institutions.