Threats to the media and media organizations, 02.09.2022, Durrës

Tirana •︎ 02/09/2022

Threats to the media and media organizations, 02.09.2022, Durrës

Translations: Tirana 

  • Case info

  • Personal info

  • Regional center
    Tirana
  • Who was attacked?
    Group
  • Group members' names and surnames
    Hysenbelliu Group

  • Media outlet

  • Name of the media outlet
    Hysenbelliu Group
  • Type of media platform
    Radio
    Printed Media
  • Source of information about the incident
    https://balkaninsight.com/2022/09/02/albania-media-mogul-claim-government-attacked-his-businesses-over-editorial-line/

  • Incident Data

  • Date of incident
    02.09.2022
  • City
    Durres
  • 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

On September 2, the government’s Agency for the Protection of the Territory demolished two swimming pools of a resort in Durrës, claiming that they were illegally built on state land.

The resort is owned by Irfan Hysenbelli, a media owner who has had several problems with government officials in recent months. The government has accused these media outlets of blackmail, and the media outlets now accuse the government of retaliation because of their editorial line critical of the opposition in recent months.

As reported in BalkanInsight: A pro-opposition media group in Albania (which owns the largest 24-hour news channel News24, Panorama, the largest print newspaper and other smaller media outlets) accused the socialist government of Prime Minister Edi Rama of harassing the businesses it owns to force it to change its editorial line – a charge the government has denied.

The government spokesman Mr. Endri Fuga denied that Rama ordered the demolition, which followed several months of fighting between media owned by Hysenbelli and government officials.