Threats: Erion Veliaj in the <x0-alert” system of journalists' organisations at the Council of Europe

Because of the pressure he put on journalist Ola Xama, calling it a “killer with a payment”, Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj is involved in signals of the Platform for Protection of Journalism and Journalists Security a mechanism near the Council of Europe, which reports on threats and pressures to the media. Signal for Veliaj has been classified in “Nivelin 2” considered a threat serious for media freedom.

Authorities, in this case Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, are invited to respond by detailed preventive, protective or corrective actions for the threat. On the web site, the time given for an answer from Veliaj is until 18 October.

An alarm can be labeled PROGRESS when positive developments are recorded and like Z IMAGINE whether the threat ceases to exist or has been corrected.

On Safe Journalial Platform website Veliaj's reaction to the writing report from the SPAK file for intensifications is also explained.

It says that The mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, has named Ola Xama, journalist at the Balkan Investigative Journalial Network (BIRN), a “contract killer”, after she contacted him to comment on an investigation into waste management.

Waste management in Albania is currently the target of a criminal investigation into corruption and money laundering involving politicians. Arben Ahmetaj, deputy and former deputy prime minister and finance minister, has faced an arrest warrant and has left the country. On July 14th, Veliaj, who had not responded to BIRN's request for comment, wrote Xama, saying she had confused facts and called it <x0milite” He further wrote “you're not a journalist, you're a paid killer”. The daily Day then protected Veliaj and denigroi Xama for several days. She published an article entitled “on her first page Speculation”, which refers to the journalist as “the contracted@x7> and accuses him of intentionally defending Ahmetaj, adding that “came the smell of journalism as a paid killer!”.

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) have denounced insults and defended journalist and her work”

The platform for the Protection of Journalism and Journalists' Security is a mechanism that helps dialogue between governments and journalists' organisations in order to prevent violations of press freedom in the Council of Europe member states and enable journalists to exercise their profession without risk of violating their security.

The platform aims to improve journalists' defence, better address threats and violence against media professionals and promote early warning mechanisms and response capacity within the Council of Europe. /Lapsy.al