Miftaraj calls Lumez's decision to sources of journalists ridiculous

Kosovo Institute for Justice Director (IKD) Ehat Miftaraj has called the decision by chief prosecutor Alexander Lumezi that prosecutors do not force journalists to show sources.

Miftaraj in an interview for Online Economy added that under the Constitution and laws in journalists are forced to reveal their resources on extraordinary occasions.

“From citizens can be seen as a populist decision, fair and fair, but for professionals it is one of the most ridiculous decisions a lawyer can hear. The first one is regulated by the Constitution and law, and at least one professional prosecutor and police officer who carried out his duties under the law. We need to know that this is a restraining order of journalists who can't be violated by anybody.

Under the Constitution and the Law journalists can reveal their resources only in extraordinary cases when it comes to salvation and preservation that is the right to medicine. In Kosovo this has never happened, and such guidelines are unfortunately to buy a peace with media journalists after what happened at the weekend. On the other hand under the Law, the State Attorney has been expected to inform us that judicially we dare not make such a mistake to send the police to the office of an independent media officer”.

He stressed that the restriction to investigate journalists because of non-intelligence of information is the legal guarantee the prosecutor should know, adding that if he does not know, he will commit disciplinary violations.

“Confision to investigate journalists for journalists to be subject to a criminal procedure due to lack of intelligence is the European Union's legal and standard guarantee of human rights and freedoms. Are prosecutors informed? It's just something the prosecutor needs to know and if they don't know they committed disciplinary violations and obviously limit human rights that could have consequences of”.

According to him, the shift of powers has put extraordinary pressure on prosecutors, who have been 20 years threatened by what power will have vetoation.

Unfortunately, changing the powers that have occurred in Kosovo has put extraordinary pressure on the prosecutors, who 20 years have slept threatened by what power would surely have been vetoing, and now they are trying to find quick ways to enter power even though the Constitution guarantees their independence. And this pressure to testify before politics takes such actions, which unfortunately violate principles protected by constitution and law in Kosovo”.

The chief state prosecutor has issued binding guidelines for all prosecutors, where prosecutors are forced to avoid taking any investigative action against the media or journalists, which, contrary to the Law on Protection of Journalial Resources, would force journalists or other media professionals to disclose the sources of information.

Guidance also reminds prosecutors that, by law, journalists cannot be prosecuted in

The chief state prosecutor has asked all prosecutors to report before taking any investigative action against journalists or media professionals.