Pro-Gruevski Media Hail Closure of Macedonian Rivals

Macedonia's privately run Sitel TV and a daily newspaper, Vecer, have urged the authorities not to forgive the 10 million euro tax debt of detained media mogul Velija Ramkovski.

In an open letter on Thursday, sent to the government, embassies and other institutions, they said: “Payment of taxes has nothing to do with media freedom”.

The letter follows the recent closure of three daily papers owned by Ramkovski: Vreme, Shpic and Koha e Re.

Their closure has drawn complaints that the government is using the issue of unpaid tax bills to target critically oriented media outlets.

This week, Brussels, the OSCE and Amnesty International all urged the government to allow the indebted media groups to pay their bills in installments, so they could continue.

The government earlier ruled out letting them pay their debst in installments.

Ramkovski’s media outlets were seen as the strongest media critics of the centre-right government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and his VMRO-DPMNE party.

All are closing, or in danger of closing, threatening to leave Macedonia with practically no pro-opposition press. 

The popular A1 TV station, also owned by Ramkovski, may also have to close soon for the same reason.

But such arguments have not swayed the editors of Vecer or Sitel TV.

“Nobody, neither Velija Ramkovski nor his TV stations A1 and A2, nor the European Commission nor Amnesty International ... has the right to ask for forgiveness of debts of A1 in the name of a free press,” the joint letter continued.

In its own reaction, A1 said the letter was part of a government attempt to lend legitimacy to a media crackdown.

“A1 never requested and doesn't request remission of its alleged debts. On the contrary, it requests objective and non-selective respect and implementation of the laws that stand for each and everyone” the TV station said.

Over 300 journalists employed in A1 and the three newspapers have already lost, or appear about to lose, their jobs.

Macedonia's two journalists unions on Monday held a march in Skopje in support of their colleagues, protesting against undue business and political influence over the media.

Both Sitel TV and Vecer are firm supporters of the Gruevski government. Sitel's owner is the son of Ljubisav Ivanov, an MP who is part of Gruevski’s coalition. Vecer is part owned by Bojo Andrevski, a businessmen with close ties to the government.

Velija Ramkovski has been in detention since December and is currently being trialed for alleged large scale financial crime.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and his centre-right VMRO DPMNE party deny any involvement.