Macedonia’s A1 TV Account Frozen Again

“At the request of the Public Prosecution, the Skopje District Court temporarily froze the account of A1,” the court announced on Monday.

The TV, which is critical of the government, again began broadcasting live in front of the government building in protest at the decision to block the account.

This is the second time in one month that the TV has faced threats to its account and its ability to continue broadcasting. Last week the court unfroze the station's account after two weeks of disputes and criticism over media freedom in the country.

The staff of the TV spent the two weeks broadcasting live in front of the government building, accusing the centre-right government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of ordering the court decision.

Gruevski denied these claims.

The freezing of A1’s account was the immediate reason for the opposition's decision to start a boycott of the parliament two weeks ago, which has caused political deadlock in the country.

A1 owner Velija Ramkovski was apprehended by the police in December and is still in detention on allegations of committing large-scale financial crime. Ten of his associates are also still being held in custody.