04/11/2017: NORTH MACEDONIA – NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN MACEDONIA

Vienna, 04/11/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) expressed dismay after a recent media freedom violation in Macedonia. SEEMO also welcomed the ruling received by formerly jailed journalist Tomislav Kezarovski (Tomislav Kežarovski).

On Thursday, 2 November 2017, two media workers were detained in Skopje and questioned by police authorities for several hours. Ibrahim Mahmuti, camera operator for private broadcaster TV 21-M, and Blerim Uka, a Kosovo photographer, were interrogated after police officers claimed having caught them “secretly taking pictures of judges during a high-profile terrorism trial”. According to local sources, all media workers were invited into the court room prior to the beginning of the trial in order to film and photograph the suspects. Mahmuti and Uka were accused of having taken photos of the judge, for which they were detained and interrogated for 6 hours before their materials were looked through, only to confirm that they had indeed not taken any photos of the judges in question.

On 3 November, a Macedonian court ruled for the exoneration of journalist Tomislav Kezarovski. Kezarovski was sentenced to four and a half years in prison in 2013. He was arrested and prosecuted for investigating the death of a colleague in 2005 and for reporting in an article in 2008 that a witness in the case revealed he was pressured by police to act as false witness, indicating a conspiracy within the judiciary.

A court found Kezarovski guilty of “disclosing the identity of this protected witness and police activity following the murder”. So far the journalist has gone through five retrials, as his sentence was overturned four times. This latest sentence concluded that there was a lack of evidence to convict the initial suspects for the murder, and Kezarovski has been de facto declare innocent.

SEEMO expressed deep dismay for the time Tomislav Kezarovski spent in jail under torturous conditions, while also having been entirely innocent. SEEMO reminds authorities in Macedonia that investigative work of journalists must be respected and protected, rather than seen as a source of nuisance, and that journalists who adhere to professional principles and the truth must not become victims to be persecuted and tortured by the state itself. SEEMO hopes this is the last journalists in Macedonia to be a political prisoner.

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.

Vienna, 02/11/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) expressed deep concern after learning about the raid of a media outlet and brutal physical retaliation against an editor-in-chief in Russia.

On 1 November, unidentified special forces officers stormed the editorial offices of Novye Kolyosa, a newspaper based in Kaliningrad. The officers detained editor-in-chief Igor Rudnikov, who was brought from home to the office in handcuffs. Journalists and employees were not allowed to leave and were interrogated for five hours. Later in the evening an ambulance was called and Rudnikov was taken to the hospital unconscious, and allegedly having suffered a broken arm and a severe head injury.

It was later reported that secret service officers went to the hospital the same evening and took Rudnikov out of the hospital for “investigative measures”. Currently, no charges have been filed against the editor-in-chief. Official media says he was detained after receiving a bribe for not publishing “false information” in the newspaper. Novye Kolyosa employees believe this was a retaliation for a published series of investigative articles in the daily, regarding many luxurious properties owned by the Kaliningrad chief of the local police Investigation Department, Viktor Ledenyov.

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe

Vienna, 01/11/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) expressed criticism after reports surfaced about several media freedom violations against four journalists in Belarus on Monday, 30 October.

Freelancer Alina Skrabunova was detained by members of the police force in the center of Mogilev, a town in eastern part of Belarus. Skrabunova was allegedly taken in for “producing unlicensed journalism” by filming reports. Aliaksand Barazenka and Hanna Aziemsha were penalized for their freelance work with individual fines of BYN 575 (approx. 250 EUR). Two other journalists were also harassed with large fines – Volha Chaychyts and Andrei Koziel were ordered to pay 1,035 Belarusian rubles (approx. 500 EUR) in fines each. All of the journalists were fined using the same accusation: “producing mass media products illegally” for Belsat TV channel.

SEEMO is highly critical of the behavior and actions of Belarus police and court institutions. SEEMO calls on authorities in the country to allow journalists to perform their job freely and without added stress of detentions, financial fines and censorship attempts. So far in 2017, Belsat-associated media workers have had to pay a total sum of almost 12,000 EUR in fines and have been sentenced to dozens of stints in jail.

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe.

Vienna, 01/11/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) criticized the poor state of media freedoms and safety of journalists in Poland after a media worker was dismissed on 30 October with dubious justification.

Barbara Burdzy, a journalist of the outlet TVP Info, was dismissed following the publishing of an article she wrote, titled “Macierewicz Intelligence Service Lied”. The piece addressed claims that a deputy minister was involved in property restitution in Warsaw. Burdzy revealed in the article that the intelligence service, lied when negating his involvement.

The article was published on the page wirtualnapolska.pl; the following Monday, 30 October, the journalist was told that her contract was terminated.

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.

Vienna, 30/10/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) was horrified to learn that a journalist working for Croatia’s public broadcaster HRT received a death threat via Facebook on Sunday, 29 October.

HRT journalist Maja Sever recently did a story about a refugee from Nigeria who came to Croatia in 2011 and has now opened a restaurant in Zagreb serving African cuisine. Shortly after this aired, she received a message from a man accusing her of promoting “freemason multiculti” politics in Croatia for doing a piece on a refugee, while “thousands of Croats are leaving the country”, and ended with the statement that “it will be a good day when we execute you”.

SEEMO condemns this atrocious and vile threat, and asks authorities to make their investigation as transparent and swift as possible. It is necessary to at once show that journalistic rights and safety will be protected as soon as dangerous threats or attacks happen to them. SEEMO expresses support for Maja Sever and all other media workers facing similar difficulties

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.

Vienna, 26/10/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) expressed full support for their Greek colleagues who have just completed another 48 hour strike, as well as a 12 day hunger strike by two journalists.

On the 24th and 25th of October, The Athens Journalists’ Union (ESIEA) called for a strike of all Greek media in the center of Athens, in order to demonstrate the deep resentment for the four-month long turmoil media owners have put journalists in.

Since September 2016, the Greek government abolished a law where the Greek Journalists’ Healthcare and Social Security Organisation was funded based by the working and retired journalists’ and other media employees’ own monthly contributions, allowing Greek media owners to avoid contributing entirely to their employees’ healthcare and social security. Now, both working and retired journalists find themselves ineligible of their pensions and health care. This has affected approximately 18,000 individuals as well as their families.

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.

Vienna, 26/10/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) expressed deep disapproval after learning that several journalists experienced physical attacks and equipment damage by members of the riot police in Kyiv on 24 October.

Media workers were covering protests outside Svyatoshyn district court, when members of the riot police stormed the building, attacking at least three journalists according to reports. Dmytro Replyanchuk from Hromads’ke TV, Serhii Lefter from UNIAN and Kyrylo Mylyshev from Strana.ua were repeatedly hit and jostled, and their equipment was damaged.

“We strongly condemn the physical brutality used against members of the press during these protests” Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General stated. “We call for an investigation to be launched and for the perpetrators of the attacks to be penalized. We cannot allow for innocent persons doing their jobs to experience such vile and brutal attacks on their safety” Vujovic added.

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe.

Vienna, 23/10/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) expressed dismay after learning that a man broke into the offices of independent Moscow radio station Echo Moskvy and stabbed journalist Tatyana (Tatjana) Felgengauer (Татьяна Фельгенгауэр) in the neck with a sharp object.

Felgengauer is deputy editor and a well-known show presenter. Following this attack, she received medical help. The assailant was quickly restrained, taken to the police department and placed in detention. According to the police, his answers during the questioning after the attack were “inadequate”, and he will be submitted to a psychological examination.

“We are horrified that anyone can simply walk into the premises of a media outlet and brutally attack a journalist” Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General said today. “We call on authorities to deal with this case according to its severity, work on protecting journalists and provide them with safety, especially in their work space and we call media owners better to protect the staff working for a media company” Vujovic added.

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe.

Vienna, 22/10/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) was dismayed to learn that in the early hours of 20 October, the homes of five media workers from the Kurdish JINNEWS and of the Mezopotamya in Ankara were raided, and the journalists were taken into custody because of alleged “complaints” against them.

JINNEWS editor and reporters Sibel Yukler (Sibel Yükler), Duygu Erol and Habibe Eren, Mezopotamya Ajans reporters Diren Yurtsever and Selman Guzelyuz (Selman Güzelyüz) are being transferred to the Ankara Counter-Terrorism Unit of the local Police Department.

It was also revealed on 20 October that Mehmet Semiz, a journalist and employee of the national network Irmak TV which was seized and shut down by the government following the coup attempt in July 2016, has spent 343 days in prison for cancelling his subscription to a cable TV network as a sign of protest. Semiz has been kept behind bars was arrested over alleged terror charges, which in fact only had to do with his announced cancellation of subscription.

SEEMO calls on authorities in Turkey to revise their behavior and actions towards journalists and allow them to work freely and independently. Constant harassment and pressures against media workers indicate clearly that institutions in Turkey not only rely on silencing free speech, they also depend upon it. Detentions, prison sentences and trumped-up terror charges are no longer convincing to the international community as truth, but rather showcase the deteriorating state of media in the country.

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.

Vienna, 21/10/2017

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemned the strong verbal threats made by a singer in Serbia against a member of the press.

Singer Jelena Karleusa (Jelena Karleuša) was a guest at the taping of a TV show for competing impersonators, when she began threatening journalist Ljubomir Tozev from the media outlet Blic. Initially, an individual from the singer’s crew began demanding that he be allowed to see the footage the journalist made that allegedly shows Karleusa from an unflattering angle. Following this, the singer herself approached the journalist and began threatening him, first by telling him to leave, and then by threating.

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.