International and European press freedom organisations, together with Albanian civil society organisations, have issued a joint open letter calling for urgent institutional action and accountability following the serious incidents of reported police violence against journalists and media crews covering protests in Tirana on 13 October 2026.
The letter comes amid repeated incidents of police interference, physical violence and obstruction of reporting, raising concerns about the safety of journalists, media workers, human rights defenders and other public watchdogs documenting matters of public interest.
As SCiDEV and international partners have previously warned, these incidents are part of a broader environment of cumulative pressures on media freedom and civic space in Albania. Physical intimidation, smear campaigns, gender-based attacks, digital restrictions and obstacles to accessing public-interest information risk undermining independent reporting, civic participation and the ability to hold public authorities accountable.
Through the open letter, the signatory organisations call for independent investigations, institutional accountability, effective implementation of existing safeguards and preventive measures. They also urge the Albanian Parliament to exercise its oversight role through a dedicated hearing on the repeated incidents and the response of the responsible institutions.
The organisations stress that protecting journalists, media workers and public watchdogs is essential to fundamental rights, democratic accountability and Albania’s European integration commitments. The right to document and scrutinise the exercise of public authority must be guaranteed in practice, without violence, intimidation or unlawful interference.
Read the full open letter in English and in Albanian.
The list of signatory organisations follow below:
International Press Institute (IPI)
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
Reporting Diversity Network
SafeJournalists Network:
Association of Journalists of Albania
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
BH Journalists Association
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro
Albanian civil society organisations:
Centre for Science and Innovation for Development (SCiDEV)
Albanian Women in Audiovisual (AWA)
Albanian Media Council (KSHM)
Albanian Center for Quality Journalism (ACQJ)
Res Publica Center
The Association of Professional Journalists of Albania (APJA)
Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Albania (BIRN Albania)
Social Justice
Union of Albanian Journalists (UGSH)
Albanian Media Institute (AMI)
Partners Albania for Change and Development
Civic Resistance
Institute of Political Studies (ISP)
Center for the Study of Democracy and Governance (CSDG)
Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM)
Citizens.al
Faktoje.al
Gender Alliance Development Center