don Sadriu's attack on journalists, EU Office: Media Essential to Accounting of Power

The Foreign Affairs Ministry official and First Lord, Princeton Sadriu, through a writing on his account at “facebook”, had named the media and journalists as a “joint criminal enterprise” following reports about the travel expenses of President Vjosa Osmani during the time she had been an MP for the Republic of Kosovo, respectively, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Regarding such a reaction by Sadriou to local media, the European Union Office in Pristina has spoken. Through an email response, they say the EU supports media freedom and pluralism as a pillar of democracy.

From this office stress that the media play a key role in keeping power in account and how the European Union supports freedom of media and expression, including receiving and providing information without public authorities' interference.

The European Union supports media freedom and pluralism as pillars of democracy and enablers of a free and open debate. Media freedom and pluralism ensure information flow and play a key role in keeping power in account. The European Union's commitment to respecting freedom of media and pluralism and to support freedom of expression, including the right to obtain and provide information without interference by public authorities, are included in Article 11 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which reflects Article 10 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Foundation Freedoms”, have said in response to the Journal Express.

Prime Minister Sadriou had reacted to the media on Tuesday evening after reports in several media on how President Osmani had been deputy of the Kosovo Parliament had spent hundreds of euros on travel, even though in a status of hers she had declared that since 2012 she has been living in a Pristina residence.

The numerous reactions of journalists and civil society had led Sadriou to erase such a writing to the media and journalists, to return later Wednesday with a long status where he welcomed his response, with the fact that he was a husband and parent, until he had spared the media again, sharing them into professional and unprofessional.

The president's media adviser Bekim Kupina, who has explained why, according to him, Osmani had spent on trips even though he had declared living in Pristina since 2012. Kupina had said that even though Osmani lived in Pristina from 2012, he has mostly traveled from Gjilan.

By December 2012, Mrs. Osman is married in Pristina, but even further, more than half of the year (from early 2013 onward), Mrs. Osman moves to Gjilan, where he has traveled. Mrs. Osman continues to travel most of the year from Gjilan to this day. During 2011-2014, which she has compensated for about 80 euros a month for the first term trips, she has never been informed about compensation for travel”, Kupina wrote in his response.

Otherwise, the script of Princeton Sadriut to the media and journalists has also condemned international journalists' organisations, who have demanded that Sadriut stop continuing attacks on the media.

The Kosovo Journalists' Association has also reacted and condemned Sadriu's language to the media and journalists.