World Press Freedom Day, AGK: Journalists in Kosovo continue to remain targeted in attacks

According to AGK, journalists in Kosovo continue to face a number of challenges for carrying out their work, where the main one, as noted in the statement, remains an unstoppable campaign by the Government of Kosovo and the ruling political party, Vetevendosje, in an effort to delegate journalists' work.

“Gasers and the media remain the target of attacks through denigrative vocabulary aimed at reducing public confidence in their reporting”, the statement said.

The AGK has called on the incumbent government, Vetevendosje and all political acts to respect and not prevent journalists' work as a key factor in the country's democratic development.

Among other things, the association has expressed concern that the parliamentary majority, in a fast and compromised procedure, has chosen members of RTK and KPM boards, which have resulted, as they say, in an open tendency to political and party control of both institutions.

“The AGK notes the improvement in Kosovo's rankings in the Reporters' Index Without Borders this year, which has occurred because of the Constitutional Court's merit decision that has declared the KPM Law unconstitutional, adopted in the Parliament by Vetevendosje. Through this decision and others, the judicial system remains the most important guarantor of media freedom in Kosovo. This is reflected in the adoption of the KDR Strategy that will prioritize journalists' cases. The AGK calls for stricter punitive policies in cases where journalists are victims of attacks”, it says, among other things in the media statement.

: The AGK continues to remain committed to the safety of journalists, documenting and denouncing them and working with security and justice bodies for resolving cases. The AGK engages in improving working conditions for journalists and media workers and encourages them to present in the Labour Inspectorate disrespecting contracts and the labour Law in general. With their continued work, journalists and media in Kosovo continue to serve public interest in information and play irreplaceable role in strengthening democracy in Kosovo”.