Vienna, 22/08/2011
The Vienna-based South East Europe Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), condemns the detention of two journalists in northwestern Greece.
On 16 August 2011, the Skopje-based journalists, Goran Momirovski of Kanal 5 television and Milena Gjorgjievska, a journalist with the daily Vest, accompanied a group of senior citizens from the Republic of Macedonia/Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, who were trying to obtain their birth certificates in Florina, northwestern Greece. These citizens, born in Greece, live in the Republic of Macedonia/Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Momirovski told SEEMO that he was filming the people who tried to get their documents and did not film any public buildings. Gjorgjievska did not film anything. They were detained in the street and held for two hours while police reviewed the filmed material in order to make sure no public buildings were filmed.
“It is not acceptable that police detain journalists in the street in a democratic country. I urge the Greek authorities to respect international standards for media freedom and guarantee foreign journalists the right to work freely in Greece,” said Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General.