The recent arrest of Ilir Meta on 21 October 2024 Albania’s former president and current leader of the Freedom Party of Albania (Partia e Lirisë –https://partiaelirise.al/), has sparked significant division within Albania’s political and media spheres. Meta’s detention, ordered by prosecutors from the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (Struktura e Posaçme Kundër Korrupsionit- SPAK), has ignited heated debates across political lines, with supporters of SPAK viewing the arrest as a vital action against high-level corruption, while Meta’s allies argue it is a politically motivated maneuver by the ruling government to suppress dissent.
Following Meta’s detention, one party member addressed the media on 22 October 2024 alleging that Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Albania (BIRN – https://birn.eu.com/network/birn-albania/), has published biased reports orchestrated by Meta’s political rivals. In a separate press event on 23 October ABC News (https://abcnews.go.com/) correspondent Klodiana Lala was insinuating that the journalist’s questions were influenced by the network’s ownership, and suggesting that media outlets are not immune to political pressure.
Media figures and public commentators find themselves caught in the crossfire, as social media platforms amplify divisive rhetoric, creating echo chambers that reinforce polarized viewpoints and limit constructive dialogue.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the escalating hostility and intimidation directed at journalists in Albania, as seen in recent incidents following the arrest of former President Ilir Meta. These actions, including public accusations against journalists and media outlets, undermine press freedom and create an environment of fear that stifles independent reporting. SEEMO reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding journalistic integrity and will closely monitor the situation, urging all parties to respect the role of the media in democratic society.
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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