Threats against media outlets and organizations by Public Officials, 30/01/2022, Tirana

Tirana •︎ 30/01/2022

Threats against media outlets and organizations by Public Officials, 30/01/2022, Tirana

Translations: Tirana 

  • Case info

  • Personal info

  • Regional center
    Tirana
  • Who was attacked?
    Group
  • Group members' names and surnames
    Media and Information Agency (MIA)

  • Media outlet

  • Name of the media outlet
    Media and Information Agency (MIA)
  • Source of information about the incident
    https://www.ecpmf.eu/albania-news-outlets-faced-cyber-attacks-following-reports-about-mayor-of-tirana/

  • Incident Data

  • Date of incident
    27.01.2022
  • City
    Tirana
  • Perpetrator(s)
    Known (suspected)
  • Attacked by
    Authorities - individuals
  • Type of incident
    Threats against media outlets and organizations
  • Type of threat
    Surveillance

  • Action by the authorities

  • Action taken by the journalists' association

  • Was journalist's association informed by the journalists directly?
    Yes

We condemn the appointment of Endri Fuga as Head of the newly established Media and Information Agency (MIA), which centralizes control over the government’s public relations within a single entity. Following a request for information by BIRN Albania, the government confirmed that Fuga was appointed as General Director of the new Agency by Order of the Prime Minister No. 96, dated 29 September 2021. Fuga was previously the spokesperson for Prime Minister Edi Rama. His appointment in the new role, which holds a status equal to that of a government minister and comes with wide-ranging powers, exacerbates existing doubts about the MIA’s independence and impartiality and fears that it may be instrumentalised to restrict journalists’ access to public information.