15.07.2024 – The Case of Açık Radyo

Açık Radyo (https://acikradyo.com.tr/), an Turkish radio station, recently had its broadcast license revoked by Türkiye / Turkey Radio and Television Supreme Council (Radyo ve Televizyon Üst Kurulu – RTÜK – https://www.rtuk.gov.tr/about-us/1749/en) after mentioning the Armenian genocide during a program. This decision follows a history of penalties and suspensions imposed on the station and other media outlets in Türkiye / Turkey.

In April 2024 a guest on Açık Radyo’s program “Açık Gazete” referenced the Armenian genocide, stating it was the 109th anniversary of the deportations and massacres on Ottoman soil. RTÜK allegedly accused the station of inciting societal hatred and hostility under Article 8 of Law No. 6112 and imposed a fine along with a five-day suspension. Despite paying the fine, Açık Radyo continued its broadcasts, which RTÜK viewed as a violation of the suspension terms. Consequently, in July 2024, RTÜK canceled the station’s broadcasting license.

One RTÜK member nominated by the main opposition party The Republican People’s Party (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi – CHP), criticized the decision, highlighting that the station had paid the fine and suggesting that RTÜK should have considered press freedom in their ruling. Açık Radyo issued a statement condemning the revocation, asserting that the remarks made during their program were within the scope of freedom of expression and press freedom as guaranteed by international human rights law, including the European Convention on Human Rights. The station announced plans to pursue legal actions against RTÜK’s decision while maintaining their commitment to broadcasting according to universal journalism principles.

The revocation of Açık Radyo’s license is part of a broader pattern of penalties imposed by RTÜK on media outlets critical of the government. This year alone, six different TV and radio channels, including Now TV (https://www.nowtv.com.tr/) and Tele1 (https://tele1.com.tr/), have faced administrative fines and suspensions for their critical content. These actions are seen as systematic harassment of independent media in Türkiye / Turkey, undermining freedom of expression and media pluralism.

The case of Açık Radyo highlights the ongoing struggles faced by independent media in Türkiye / Turkey. The revocation of its license is a significant blow to press freedom in the country, signaling a tightening grip on media by regulatory authorities.

Eighteen Turkish and international media and press freedom organizations, including South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), have signed a statement condemning the decision by RTÜK to cancel the broadcast license of Açık Radyo.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the revocation of Açık Radyo’s broadcast license by Türkiye / Turkey Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK). This action represents a severe violation of press freedom and freedom of expression, which are cornerstones of any democratic society. SEEMO will be closely monitoring the situation and urges RTÜK to reinstate Açık Radyo’s license immediately, allowing the station to continue its critical role in providing independent journalism and fostering public debate.

The 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 #turkey #AçıkRadyo #SEEMO #journalistarrested #pressfreedom #mediafreedom #freemedia

A statement made by journalist Srdjan Škoro about President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and his family during a TV show broadcast on KTV Television (https://www.ktv.rs/) on 25 June 2024 caused a series of reactions in Serbia.

The Serbian Minister of Information and Telecommunications condemned the statment by Škoro and argued that he violated public interest and the Law on Public Information and Media (Zakon o javnom informisanju i medijima – ZJIM). This condemnation has been perceived by KTV’s editorial team as pressure on their editorial policy. The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade, Serbia, has instructed the First Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade, Serbia, to investigate whether Škoro’s statements contain elements of the criminal offense of endangering security.

Gordana Konstantinović, the lawyer of the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (Udruženje Novinara Srbije – UNS – https://www.uns.org.rs/), stated for the UNS webpage, that there is no element of the criminal offense of endangering security, nor any other criminal offensethat in the statements made by journalist Srdjan Škoro. She criticized the media for misrepresenting his words. Konstantinović urged that the prosecution reviews Škoro’s actual statements rather than out-of-context excerpts. In that case it will find no grounds for criminal charges.

In response to the accusations, Škoro plans to file a lawsuit against the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ministarstvo Unutrašnjih Poslova – MUP) for violating the presumption of innocence and prejudging the outcome of the investigation. His lawyer, Ivan Ninić, criticized the statement from the Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs, which alleged that Škoro called for the murder of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s son. Ninić argued that such statements by this Minister, who is presenting himself as a state official, undermine the police institution and set a dangerous precedent for political retaliation.

Furthermore, President of the Independent Association of Serbia’s Journalists – IJAS (Nezavisno Udruženje Novinara Srbije – NUNS – https://nuns.rs/), Željko Bodrožić, called for an end to the “witch hunt” against KTV due to Škoro’s appearance.

In a reaction by IJAS-NUNS it is written: “…The Constitution of the Republic of Serbia guarantees freedom of expression to all citizens of Serbia, and the Ministry of Information has no authority to limit freedom of expression before any information is published. According to the Law on Public Information and Media, only the court can prohibit the distribution of information and that, at the proposal of the competent public prosecutor, only if it is necessary in a democratic society. The reasons for the ban are calling for an immediate violent overthrow of the constitutional order or an act of immediate violence against a person or a group of persons based on personal characteristics, when the publication of the information threatens serious and irreparable consequences that cannot be prevented in any other way…. We remind ….that the freedom of public information must not be violated by abuse of official position and public authority. In the statement, the Ministry does not quote but interprets the statement of Srdjan Skoro and concludes that it is “hate speech”, “violation of personal dignity” and “call for lynching””.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) supports and stands in solidarity with UNS and IJAS-NUNS in their efforts to uphold media freedom and protect journalists from political persecution. SEEMO calls on Serbian authorities to respect the principles of freedom of expression and to ensure that legal processes are not used as tools of political control or intimidation. SEEMO also condemns the political persecution and media pressure against journalist Srdjan Škoro and KTV by Serbian authorities. SEEMO urges the Serbian government to uphold media freedom and protect journalists from political retaliation, ensuring that legal processes are not misused to suppress free expression or to intimidate media outlets.

The 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.

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Ana Lalić Hegediš, a journalist and president of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (Nezavisno društvo novinara Vojvodine – NDNV – https://ndnv.org/), revealed that she was not promptly informed about the escape of a suspect who had been under house arrest for threatening her and her family. Lalić Hegediš learned of his escape only when the daily Danas (https://www.danas.rs/) reported it. The suspect, who had made direct threats to Lalić Hegediš and her husband, had been on the run for over a month before the scheduled court hearing brought the issue to light.

You can read Danas article here: https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/ana-lalic-ugrozavanje-bezbednosti-osumnjiceni/

The situation was further alarming as Lalić Hegediš and her family had been relocated outside of Serbia due to the threats and returned only after receiving assurances of their safety. It turned out they had returned while the suspect was already at large, a fact that deeply unsettled her.

Dinko Gruhonjić, another journalist and professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad, Serbia, who had also been threatened by this individual, shared similar frustrations. He described feeling like a hunted animal and criticized the authorities for their insufficient response to threats against journalists. Gruhonjić linked the government’s handling of these cases to broader issues of institutional corruption and inefficiency.

The situation underscores the ongoing risks faced by journalists in Serbia and the need for more robust protections and responsive actions from state institutions to ensure their safety.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the alarming situation surrounding journalist’s Ana Lalić Hegediš and Dinko Gruhonjić. It is unacceptable that the suspect who threatened them has escaped house arrest, and neither Lalić Hegediš or Gruhonjić nor their legal representative were informed in a timely manner. This failure by the authorities to communicate crucial information not only endangers Journalist’s safety but also highlights a broader issue of inadequate protection for journalists in Serbia. SEEMO calls on Serbian authorities to take immediate action to ensure the safety of journalist’s and secure police protection to both journalists and their family and to address the systemic failures that allow such threats to go unpunished and unresolved.

You can read previous SEEMO artcile about this case here: https://seemo.org/ressources/03-04-2024-seemo-applauds-arrest-in-connection-with-threats-against-journalist-in-serbia/

The 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.

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The recent resignation of Shkumbin Ahmetxhekaj, @Shkumbin_Ah, the Director General of Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK – https://www.rtklive.com/), has drawn significant concern and attention. Ahmetxhekaj, a journalist with the Kosovo Public Broadcaster, cited “seven months of political pressure” and significant disagreements with the RTK Board over fundamental issues regarding the broadcaster’s future as the reasons for his departure.

Ahmetxhekaj expressed his frustration over the alleged lack of support from the Board, emphasizing the need for a General Director to have full backing in forming their team and protection from political interference. Despite his willingness to continue working until the completion of certain projects, his request was allegedly ignored by the Board, leading to his resignation. He underscored the importance of protecting RTK from political pressures to ensure its role as a public broadcaster serving the people’s interests. Through a post on Facebook, Ahmetxhekaj said that his decision does not mean surrender, but is “the culmination of a 7-month political pressure”.

The RTK Board’s susceptibility to political influence has been questioned.

Various officials close to the Government and Members of Parliament (MPs), have been accused of allegedly attempting to exert partisan control over RTK, a practice deemed unacceptable in a democratic society. There have also been complaints about the management of Radio Kosova 1, as part of RTK.

Financial stability for RTK remains a pressing issue, with the Government and Assembly called upon to ensure adequate funding and resolve property-related matters instead of applying political pressure and cutting the budget by half. The broadcaster’s role in maintaining media freedom and supporting Kosovo’s democratic processes is crucial, and its staff must be able to work without political or financial constraints.

The resignation of Shkumbin Ahmetxhekaj from his position as Director General of Radio and Television of Kosovo (RTK) due to alleged political pressure and disagreements with the Board has highlighted concerns about potential political interference in the public broadcaster. The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) will be closely monitoring this case to ensure that RTK’s journalists and staff can operate without political or financial interference, safeguarding media freedom in Kosovo.

The 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 #kosovo #rtk #ShkumbinAhmetxhekaj #SEEMO #journalistarrested #pressfreedom #mediafreedom #freemedia

On 26 June 2024 the separatist authorities of Moldova’s Transnistria – Transdniestria / Pridnestrovie (not international recognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic – PMR / Приднестро́вская Молда́вская Респу́блика) released Russian journalist Timofei Ilyushin (Тимофей Илюшин). Ilyushin, who works for the independent Russian online publication Sotavision (Sota – https://sotavision.world/), had been detained by the authorities in Tiraspol on 24 June 2024 during his reporting. Chisinau’s (Chișinău), Moldova, Reintegration Bureau confirmed the release on 27 June 2024.

Sotavision reported that Ilyushin was detained by the Ministry of State Security in Transdniester (Министерство государственной безопасности ПМР) and was held in a detention center.

You can read the Sotavision article about this case: https://sotavision.world/nash-korrespondent-zaderzhan-v-pridnestrove/

According to official Russian sources, he was expelled from Transdnestria for illegally crossing the border and video filming military facilities in the village of Parcani (Парка́ны). In March 2023, Transdnestrian authorities had declared Ilyushin an “undesirable” person, banning him from the region. For the general Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation the activities of the foreign non-governmental organization Sota media, are unwanted on the territory of the Russian Federation.

According to officials in Tiraspol, “for illegally crossing the state border of Transnistria, Timofey Ilyushin was detained for 48 hours until the circumstances were clarified, and then under Art. 18.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the PMR Violation of the regime of the state border of the PMR expelled from the territory of the republic”.

Timofei Ilyushin gained media attention in 2021 after participating in protests in Moscow (Москва), Russia, and subsequently emigrating to Bishkek (Бишкек), Kyrgyzstan. In early 2023, his grandmother in Moscow was allegedly threatened due to his anti-army posts. Collaborating with Sotavision from January 2023, Ilyushin reported harassment by Kyrgyz authorities linked to his attempt to organize an rally, leading him to flee to Transnistria. There, he faced accusations of undermining constitutional order due to his journalistic activities, prompting another escape to Chisinau, where he sought political asylum and attempted to start a media outlet on Transnistria. Despite being previously declared an “undesirable person” in Transnistria, Ilyushin returned for unknown reasons and continued to criticize its authorities.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the detention of journalist Timofei Ilyushin by the separatist authorities in the not international recognised Moldova’s Transdniester region. Such actions represent a blatant violation of press freedom and the fundamental rights of journalists to carry out their work without fear of persecution. SEEMO will be closely monitoring this situation and urges the authorities to respect the principles of free and independent journalism.

The 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.

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Kosovo authorities must quickly and thoroughly investigate recent threats made against the staff of the online investigative newsportal Insajderi – @gazetainsajderi (https://insajderi.org/), ensuring the perpetrators are brought to justice and the journalists’ safety is guaranteed.

On 24 and 25 June 2024 Insajderi received numerous threatening phone calls from different numbers, demanding the removal of an article published on 24 June 2024. The article detailed the arrest of a 33-year-old man, wanted by Interpol for alleged offenses such as money laundering, fraud, and document forgery, based on a request from Swiss authorities. He was apprehended by Kosovo police at the Vërmicë / Vrbnica border crossing between Kosovo and Albania.

The callers, who identified themselves as family members of the arrested individual, threatened to set fire to the newsroom if the article was not removed, ominously stating that keeping the journalists alive was a mistake.

The webportal has been subjected to numerous threats of physical violence since its establishment in 2016. In 2016 the media received a phone call from a high level politician, threatened one journalist because of an article. In 2018 was a death threats against the team of Insajderi by the owner of local company. In 2021, former editor-in-chief Vehbi Kajtazi received death threats, and in February 2021 Visar Duriqi, Insajderi’s editor-in-chief, was assaulted by masked attackers outside his home. In 2023 a reporter from Insajderi was physical attacked in Vushtrri / Vučitrn by a local religious representative. Despite these repeated threats, police have made minimal progress in resolving these incidents.

This recent series of threats underscores the continuing challenges journalists face in Kosovo, including smears, physical violence, and slow judicial processes. Ensuring the safety of journalists and addressing the impunity for crimes against them remains critical.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)strongly condemns the recent threats of physical violence made against the staff of Insajderi. Such intimidation tactics, including threats of arson and ominous warnings like “We made a mistake by letting you live,” are unacceptable and represent a direct attack on press freedom. SEEMO will closely monitor the situation and calls on Kosovo authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, bring the perpetrators to justice, and ensure the safety of all journalists involved.

The 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 #kosovo #insajderi #journalistattacked #SEEMO#journalistarrested #pressfreedom #mediafreedom#freemedia

On the morning of 30 June 2024, an unknown individual or group, smashed the window of the former “No Comment” cafe, associated with OK Radio (https://www.okradio.rs/) from Vranje, Serbia. This incident marks yet another act of vandalism against the OK Radio in the past two and a half years. Due to several attacks, vandalism and intimidation, the cafe is closed since August 2022. The premises of OK Radio are located in that cafe, and the work of the radio was financed from the cafe income.

In April 2022, unknown perpetrators broke the cafe’s windows in the early morning hours. Despite having security camera footage, the culprits remain unidentified.

In early June of the same year, an individual entered the cafe in the afternoon and destroyed the entire interior with paint sprayed from a disperser. A week later, a wall was erected in front of the OK Radio window. Till today it was not removed.

As next step Veran Matić, the president of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), who is also member of the Permanent Working Group for Security of Journalists in Serbia, was attacked in June 2022 because of his public support for OK Radio. Posters with his photo were put up in the city. The posters state that Matić is “demolishing” around the city.

The earlier destruction of OK Radio’s property is linked to one person, who allegedly wanted to buy the premises of OK Radio. Following several separate trials, one individual was sentenced to 14 months in prison for violent behavior towards OK radio owner Olivera Vladković and financial director Svetlana Ivanova, as well as to a year and a half for endangering their safety and threatening journalists who attended the trial.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) strongly condemns the repeated acts of vandalism against the OK Radio and the persistent intimidation of its staff and owner. These malicious actions, which have escalated over the past two and a half years, represent a blatant attack on the freedom of the press in south Serbia and the safety of media workers. SEEMO will be closely monitoring this situation and urges the authorities to take immediate and effective measures to identify and prosecute the perpetrators, ensuring the protection of media institutions and their right to operate without fear of violence or harassment.

You can read the previous SEEMO article about this case here: https://seemo.org/ressources/10-07-2023-protection-of-local-media-in-serbia-case-ok-radio/

The 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.

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On 30 June 2024, the personal Facebook account of Elvin Luku, the founder of MediaLook (https://www.medialook.al/) and the Albanian MediaLook Center (https://www.facebook.com/qendrashqiptaremedialook/), was shut down, disrupting access to their social media profiles. Fortunately, the profiles were recovered due to duplicate administration rights.

The reasons for this attack remain unclear. Since 8 June 2024, MediaLook, in collaboration with the Association of Professional Journalists of Albania (Gazetarët Profesionistë të Shqipërisë – APJ Albania – https://www.ifj.org/join-ifj/individual-member/albania), has been hosting roundtables discussing propaganda, disinformation, and the media landscape in Albania.

This social media closure follows a series of a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on the MediaLook website that began in early April 2024. These attacks have intermittently disrupted services, posing a persistent cyber threat to the organization. The attacks were originating from IP addresses in India, Pakistan, and Russia. These cyberattacks aim to overwhelm the targeted server, rendering it unusable by flooding it with excessive traffic.

MediaLook, founded by journalist and mass communication researcher Elvin Luku on 13 June 2018, serves as a media about media platform. Continuous disruptions and baseless accusations of violating community standards can undermine the credibility of MediaLook, which is dedicated to analyzing media practices and acting as a media watchdog. The fear of further attacks or closures may lead to self-censorship, preventing MediaLook and similar organizations from publishing certain content.

Earlier this year, Citizens Channel (https://citizens.al/) experienced similar attacks. Following the publication of an investigation, Citizens faced DDoS attacks and subsequent social media content removals on Facebook and Instagram. These attacks were coordinated, targeting multiple profiles simultaneously.

Such cyberattacks pose severe risks to online presence, potentially leading to platform shutdowns and reduced visibility of content due to disrupted engagement algorithms. The ongoing cyber threats underscore the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures and continued advocacy for press freedom and the protection of independent journalism.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) will continue to monitor the developments connected to MediaLook and its administrator, Elvin Luku. Actions to silence critical voices and undermine press freedom in Albania are not acceptable. SEEMO calls the officials in Albania for immediate and thorough investigations to bring the perpetrators to justice and urges authorities to ensure the safety and integrity of MediaLook’s operations.

The 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 #elvinluku #medialook #SEEMO #journalistarrested #pressfreedom #mediafreedom #freemedia @ElvinLuku