It's a shame that the internet is a virtual medium, because there are a lot of people out there that I'd like to express my deep feelings of friendship to, and having spent the last two years here in Serbia, I'd like to do it in a truly Serbian way.
Swiss Support Kosovo Media Freedom
Pristina | 09 June 2009 |
Beglinger and Sejdiu
Xharra has been the target of recent attacks over the popular "Life in Kosovo" current affairs TV show aired on public broadcaster RTK and produced by BIRN. The show examines controversial topics in Kosovo ranging from homosexuality to alleged atrocities committed by the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA. The campaign against Xharra intensified follwoing the May 28 airing of a show examining freedom of speech in Kosovo.
Xharra has been labeled a "spy" for Serbia and the "Life in Kosovo" staff was accosted and their footage confiscated after filming in Skenderaj in central Kosovo.
"This campaign [against Xharra] and the attitudes upon which it is based, threaten the open space in society represented and defended by independent journalism," the Swiss ambassador wrote in a letter to BIRN.
"Freedom of expression and independence of media from political interference and pressure are crucial for ensuring democracy, and BIRN stands for this important effort. I would like to make it clear that Switzerland fully associates itself with the support to BIRN that has been expressed in the past days by Mr. Pieter Feith, ICR/EUSR, other representatives of the International Community and a number of NGOs," Beglinger wrote.
Beglinger congratulated BIRN on its "professional journalism", and said "Switzerland will closely monitor the further developments in this matter and continue to contributing to an open, independent and professional media sector in Kosovo".
On Monday, Human Rights Watch also condemned the campaign against Xharra and called on the government of Kosovo to ensure freedom of the media.
The issue has sparked a flood of support for Xharra and media freedom in Kosovo, both from local and international NGOs and from western governments and diplomats.
