On 22 August 2024, Ervin Baku, a sports journalist for Albanian Radio Television (Radio TelevizioniShqiptar– RTSH – https://rtsh.al/), became the target of online harassment after appearing in a Euronews TV (https://www.euronews.rs/) interview wearing a T-shirt with a Serbian flag. The shirt, a gift from a Serbian coach, sparked widespread criticism on social media, leading Baku to clarify on air that his gesture was not intended to be provocative. Despite his apology, the backlash intensified, and Baku received numerous threatening messages, including death threats. He reported these threats to the State Police at the Regional Directorate in Tirana, Albania.
Baku has also filed a formal complaint with the State Police, naming individuals responsible for the threats and demanding accountability. The Union of Albanian Journalists (UnioniiGazetarëveShqiptarë – UGSH – https://unionigazetareve.com/), Albania’s largest organization of journalists, reaffirmed its solidarity with Baku..
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the online harassment and death threats directed at Albanian sports journalist Ervin Baku. Such attacks on journalists represent a grave violation of press freedom and individual rights. SEEMO calls on the authorities in Albania to take immediate and decisive action to investigate these threats, ensure the safety of the journalist, and hold the perpetrators accountable. SEEMO will be closely monitoring this case to ensure that justice is served and to support the protection of journalists across the region.
We also consider those politicians in power in Southeast Europe responsible, who constantly welcome extreme ultra-nationalist attitudes or do not react after attacks. Instead of accepting that highlighting the national symbols of a neighboring country is normal and part of normal relations between countries, i.e. wearing a t-shirt with the flag or other symbols of a neighboring country, there is a negative reaction of certain individuals in the public under the influence of politics. As a result, unpleasant situations and even physical attacks on individuals occur. Here, it is necessary to urgently establish a culture of acceptance of diversity.
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
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