Kosovo: Journalists, Govt Support Media Freedom

The AGPK said it had closely followed the "disturbing developments" surrounding the "Life in Kosovo", hosted by Xharra and aired weekly on public broadcaster RTK. The group said it was concerned with the incident in Skenderaj, when journalists from Xharra's team were forced to leave the town by an unidentified armed man who confiscated their footage.

The “Life in Kosovo” current affairs show hosted by Xharra and produced by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, sparked controversy on 28 May when it discussed how government advertising is used to influence the media landscape and recent dismissals of journalists who inconvenienced the authorities.

Infopress newspaper, which receives the lion’s share of government advertising revenues, has led a campaign against BIRN with a series of inflammatory articles on Xharra and the programme, claiming they had set out to denigrate the Drenica region, and that Xharra is a "spy" for Serbia.

The AGPK believes that the efforts of the newspaper’s editor, Qani Mehmedi, have harmed freedom of speech in the country.

“The writing of Qani Mehmedi in this daily, in which he asserts that the show is paid for by Serbia, and later for calls a public lynching in the newspaper, have exceedingly worsened the conditions of Kosovar media by heavily assaulting freedom of speech."

The AGPK also turned to the government, requesting that officials in Pristina address the attacks against Xharra and support freedom of speech in Kosovo.

“The AGPK strongly asks the president to punish this dangerous campaign against journalists and freedom of speech and in this way to protect one of the articles of the Constitution of Kosovo, which on June 15 turns a year old, and guarantees freedom of speech.”

“Taking into consideration the seriousness of this issue, we ask the Government of Kosovo to distance itself from theses calls for lynching and to openly surface with support for freedom of speech,” read the statement.

Kosovo’s government released a statement Wednesday, citing its support for freedom of speech.

“The Government of the Republic of Kosovo strongly supports freedom of speech and the development of free and independent media in the Republic of Kosovo. Freedom of speech is guaranteed with the highest act in the country – the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo and other legal acts.”

The government said it considered the media "important partners" in efforts to effect good governance, transparency and accountability "in the interetes of the country's citizens".

The statement did not directly mention the attacks against Xharra and BIRN, but said that acts that hinder freedom of speech would not be tolerated.

“All incidents of isolated violation of freedom of speech are punishable by the government. They do not present the vision and the commitments of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo for the development of democracy, defence of freedom of speech and the independence of the media.”

(Reporting by Shega A’Mula)