Attacks on media outlets and organizations, News24, BalkanWeb, Panorama, and Gazeta Shqiptare, 09.08.2025, Tirana

Translations: Tirana 

In the early hours of 9 August 2025, State Police conducted an operation targeting Focus Media Group’s outlets in Tirana,  News24, BalkanWeb, Panorama, and Gazeta Shqiptare. The police surrounded the building, cut the electricity supply, and blocked journalists from entering their newsrooms, causing a temporary halt to News24’s broadcasting. The station resumed transmission via YouTube at 10:00 a.m.

The building is reportedly involved in a property dispute with the state-owned arms company KAYO, which recently obtained ownership. So far, no official legal documentation or prior notice has been made public to justify the police operation. The action took place early on a Saturday morning, a time when staffing and public scrutiny are typically low. Authorities have not issued statements clarifying the legal basis or duration of the operation.

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Update on the case

11 August

According to Panorama. Al, The National Inspectorate for Territorial Protection (IKMT) demolished the bridge that connects the News24 and Panorama TV buildings, damaging transmission cables and affecting servers and the archive. The outlet reports this occurred while journalists were protesting outside. Journalists and media workers from Focus Media Group, together with other journalists, civil society, and supporters, protested on 11 August against the shutdown, calling for the restoration of operations and respect for their right to work.

11 August after 17:00: The News24 newsroom has issued an urgent appeal to diplomatic institutions, embassies, political parties, MPs, and law enforcement, warning that data and investigative files, particularly on corruption, are being forcibly taken from journalists’ computers. This not only jeopardizes critical evidence but also endangers the safety of journalists and their sources. The outlet calls for an immediate end to the seizures and urges stronger protection of media freedom and journalist security, stressing the essential role of independent media in democracy.

12 August – The situation continues to escalate:
According to Focus Media Group, the National Inspectorate for Territorial Protection (IKMT) has demolished a bridge linking News24 and Panorama TV offices, damaging transmission cables and affecting servers and archives, despite calls to show restraint and ensure due process. Local reports from journalists and live video footage from the evening of 11 August show computers, journalists’ files, and other work materials being removed from News24 offices using army lorries without due process, without a full inventory, and without company representatives present. Among the seized materials, a representative of Focus Media outlets claims that there were files related to sensitive corruption investigations.

Last evening, journalists Osman Stafa and Isa Myzyraj were at the scene asking police forces to show an order/official mandate for this procedure, but faced resistance, and no such official documentation was provided. Reports and live video footage show that office materials, desks, computers, and others are being removed from the buildings where Focus Group media outlets operated. This seems to be an arbitrary seizure of newsroom equipment without legal safeguards. The administrative contractual dispute regarding the lease cannot be a justification for potential loss or compromise of sensitive journalistic materials and sources that put journalists and their sources at risk. Transparency from the authorities is still needed about this process.

Publisher Irfan Hysenbelliu has publicly stated today that News24 “will not be shut down” and that Focus Media Group “will not allow violence or pressure to silence our voice.” He has described the actions as illegal and unprecedented, called on journalists to stand firm, and appealed to state institutions to stop repressive measures and restore access and broadcasting. The Focus Media Group Board has issued an appeal to the international community to act urgently to protect independent media in Albania.

12 August – Afternoon:

The Tirana First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction partially upheld the request of Focus Media News and Panorama Group for interim measures following the 9 August police operation that blocked access to their premises, cut electricity, and removed newsroom equipment.
While the court did not rule on the underlying property dispute, which remains under the jurisdiction of the administrative courts, it focused extensively on the impact of the intervention on journalists’ ability to work and their right to provide information.
The court stressed that:
• The private commercial interests of media companies must be clearly distinguished from the rights of journalists and the protection of their work.
• The intervention and resulting restrictions on journalists were not proportionate to the situation or the need to act, and such disputes should be resolved in a way that minimises interference with freedom of expression and journalists’ rights.
• While the state has a right to protect its interests, it also has an international obligation both vertically (state to citizen) and horizontally (between private actors) to safeguard freedom of expression.
• Journalists must be allowed to access their personal belongings and work materials.
Key points of the decision:
• Within 24 hours: The State Bailiff’s Office must identify and inventory all journalists’ personal belongings and work-related documents, including electronic files, and return them to journalists.
• Within 48 hours: The Bailiff’s Office must inventory Focus Media News’ movable equipment and assets and either place them in safekeeping or allow the company to retrieve them.
• Journalists must have secure access to their professional materials to protect confidential sources and ongoing investigations.
• The court explicitly found that restrictions on journalists’ access were disproportionate and contrary to constitutional and ECHR Article 10 obligations.
• Other requests, such as full reinstatement in the premises, were dismissed due to litispendence with the ongoing administrative court proceedings.

Source.

13 August

Credible reports indicate that the decision is not being fully implemented. Journalists and media workers have reported ongoing obstruction at the entrance to the Panorama Group building. Access has become conditional, and in some cases, it allegedly depends on surrendering mobile devices before entry. This measure poses significant risks to the protection of journalistic sources.

Legal representatives of Focus Media Group submitted a formal complaint to State Police – Station No. 1, urging immediate action to enforce the court’s ruling. Reports indicate that KAYO, the state-owned company involved in the dispute, along with the Military Police, is obstructing the full execution of the ruling.

To address these issues, Focus Media Group has hired lawyer Jordan Daci to assist journalists in pursuing legal actions regarding violations of their rights to work and the protection of journalistic sources.

Source

15 August

On 15 August, MP Ina Zhupa requested explanations from authorities on the legal basis for blocking transmissions, restricting access, and seizing journalists’ equipment. The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media expressed concern, stressing that property disputes should not halt broadcasting. Meanwhile, journalist Isa Myzyraj and the Association of Journalists of Albania (AGSH) have faced homophobic and derogatory attacks from a hostile portal, drawing strong reactions and solidarity from regional and international press freedom organizations. The Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination condemned the intimidation and announced a possible ex officio investigation, after which the same portal began targeting the Commissioner as well.

18 August

As of 18 August in the morning, News24 has resumed broadcasting from its new, temporary studios. However, at the original premises, the police blockade continues. Journalists remain barred from entering to retrieve their materials, and the 12 August decision of the Tirana District Court ordering the return of newsroom equipment and access for staff has not been implemented yet, as reported by reporters. The legal team of News24 is currently supporting at least 33 journalists to file charges regarding the violation of their journalistic equipment and materials, including concerns over the exposure of confidential sources and disruption of investigative work. The same legal team has also informed the European Court of Human Rights about the case, as reported by reporters on the ground.

1 September

The team members of Panorama Group, which includes Panorama TV, Panorama newspaper, Panorama Sport, and their online platforms, issued an open letter to international organizations, embassies, and institutions that defend press freedom. They called for immediate intervention, protection, and support to help them return to their workplace. The staff emphasized that this is not just an attack on a single newsroom but a fundamental struggle for the rule of law, justice, and the public’s right to access information freely. They urged the diplomatic and international community to uphold the principles of independent journalism.