On 20 November 2024, Lorena Resulaj, a journalist from SYRI TV’s (https://www.syri.net/) investigative program Piranja, was allegedly physically assaulted by two unidentified individuals while attempting to question one Mayor in Albania, on matters highlighted in the program. The incident occurred in the underground parking area of the municipality building as Mayor arrived by car.
Lorena Resulaj reported that when she entered the car park of the municipality building to approach Mayor, two individuals, believed to be municipal staff, allegedly forcibly removed her and shut the gate behind her. She noted that there were no visible signs prohibiting entry and emphasized that the location was a public institution rather than private property. Despite identifying herself as a journalist, the staff continued to prevent her from reaching the mayor. Following the mayor’s departure, Resulaj attempted to access the municipality through the main entrance using proper identification but was still denied entry and instructed to file a written request instead.
You can see the video of the attack here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EoM9uuQsq/?mibextid=UalRPS
A widely circulated video shows the confrontation, with a Mayor present but failing to intervene. Critics have described this as an apparent effort to obstruct investigative journalism. Resulaj has filed a police report, and the case has been referred to prosecutors.
This is not the first time journalists from Piranja have faced aggression.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the physical assault on journalist Lorena Resulaj while she was attempting to fulfill her professional duties by questioning one Mayor. This incident represents a severe violation of press freedom and the rights of journalists to carry out their investigative work without fear of intimidation or violence. SEEMO calls on Albanian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure the safety of media professionals. SEEMO will be closely monitoring the developments of this case to advocate for justice and the protection of press freedoms in Albania.
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.
#fyp #mediafreedom #seemo #freespeech #southeasteuropemediaorganisation#ngo #journalist #albania #SYRITV #Piranja #LorenaResulaj #journalistattack #SEEMO #pressfreedom #mediafreedom #freemedia