Vienna, 25/10/2016
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemned the threats made against Kosovo journalist Leonard Kerquki.
Kerquki is the chief editor of Gazeta Express and the author of Zona Express weekly show. An episode of the show which aired on 23 October tackled issues, including attacks, regarding the remaining Serb population in Kosovo, after which Kerquki started receiving hundreds of threats. The majority of hate speech and verbally abusive statements came from anonymous users on social media platforms.
“This is not the first time the subject of a smear campaign on social media is a journalist doing his job ethically and professionally. We call on authorities in Kosovo to launch an investigation and find out who the perpetrators behind this hateful rhetoric are. A lack of tolerance and understanding for other ethnic groups and minorities is a clear sign that Kosovo as a society has not evolved to a democratic standpoint yet” Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General said earlier.
SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.