The SafeJournalists Network expresses concern over incidents affecting journalists and media workers during the protests held in Tirana on 2 July 2026.
Public assemblies are a matter of clear public interest. Journalists must be able to report freely and safely on citizens’ demands, institutional responses, police conduct and developments on the ground. The exercise of the right to peaceful assembly must go hand in hand with respect for freedom of expression, media freedom and the public’s right to be informed.
According to public reports and video material, SYRI TV journalist Fatjon Gjinaj was reportedly hit during a police intervention while covering the protest near the Albanian Parliament. Allegations involving police conduct require prompt and serious review, as the State Police has a direct duty to protect journalists, facilitate their work and ensure that any intervention during public assemblies complies with the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality.
In a separate incident later the same day, Top News journalist Kleida Muka and the camera operator accompanying her were seriously obstructed and attacked by some individuals while reporting live from the protest near the Prime Minister’s Office. According to published reports and video material, the media team faced insults, pushing and calls to leave the reporting area while carrying out their professional duties.
These cases come amid broader concerns raised in Albania regarding the safety of journalists and media workers covering the ongoing civic protests, which began at the end of May 2026 around public opposition to preparatory works in the Vjosa-Narta/Zvërnec protected coastal area and later expanded into broader anti-establishment demands, including calls for the resignation of the Prime Minister. Reported concerns include obstruction of reporting, verbal aggression, interference with cameras and microphones, and pressure against identifiable journalists, camera operators, photographers and technical staff in the field. Criticism of media performance is legitimate in a democratic society, but it must not translate into hostility, obstruction or pressure against media workers carrying out their professional duties.
The SafeJournalists Network recalls that journalists and media workers are not parties to the protest. Their role is to report on matters of public interest and to document developments in the public space. Any attack, intimidation, obstruction or pressure against journalists undermines media freedom and restricts the public’s right to receive information.
The SafeJournalists Network calls on the competent authorities to promptly verify all reported incidents affecting journalists, with particular attention to allegations involving police conduct, and to ensure accountability where violations are confirmed. The Network also calls on all individuals present at public assemblies to respect the work of journalists and to refrain from any form of obstruction, intimidation or attack against media teams.
Journalists must be able to cover protests safely, regardless of the media outlet they represent or the way that outlet is perceived by parts of the public.
The SafeJournalists Network will continue to monitor the situation and register verified cases in its database.
Pristina – Skopje – Sarajevo – Zagreb – Belgrade – Podgorica – Tirana, 3 July 2026
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
BH Journalists Association
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro