PRISTINA, 14.06.2021 – The Chairwoman of the Board of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo – AJK, Gentiana Begolli Pustina, last week was part of the discussion panel at the two-day conference “DISICON”, organized by the National Democratic Institute – NDI and in partnership with USAID.

The opening of the conference on Information Integrity “DISICON” was made by the Senior Resident Director for NDI in Kosovo, Ambassador Nancy Soderberg. Meanwhile, US Ambassador Phillip Kosnett and NDI President Derek Mitchell delivered introductory remarks, stressing the importance of maintaining information integrity for the proper functioning of democracy.

The second panel of this conference discussed the presence and spread of misinformation, professionalism in the media industry, legal and regulatory issues, the role of social media in spreading misinformation, and the necessary efforts to combat these phenomena.

The Chairman of the Board of AGK, Begolli Pustina emphasized that the spread of misinformation is mostly done as a result of requests from editorial policy leaders within the media or from the media owners themselves, and that exclusively for various political, economic, etc.

“What I have seen from my point of view as a journalist but also as the representative of AJK, is that during almost a year and a half that our country has been facing the pandemic, there have been a few cases where there has been ‘fake news’, even tho we are facing a pandemic with many unknowns even to the WHO itself. Meanwhile, if we talk about the month of the elections campaign, then we can see nearly hundreds of them. This proves that journalists know how to do their job, but it is actually the owners or superiors who determine the editorial policies who try to push certain agendas forward through the work of journalists. So, we are not dealing with the lack of knowledge of journalists to do their job, but we are dealing with the issue of the interests of some media owners, who try to make money through journalism “.

Participants in the two-day conference “DISICON” were ambassadors, directors of non-governmental organizations, representatives of institutions, members of civil society, journalists and media experts.

The main topic of this year in the two-day conference “DISICON”, was “The Rise of Disinformation in Digital Democracy”.

PODGORICA, May 28th, 2021 – Organizations dealing with media in Montenegro must cooperate more in solving common problems and it is necessary for the media community to start a continuous dialogue on that, it was assessed at the round table organized today by the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (SMCG). It was announced at the meeting that a joint initiative would be proposed to the Government and the Parliament for urgent amendments to the Criminal Code in order to toughen the penalties for attacks on journalists.

Beside members of the SMCG, representatives of the Montenegro Media Institute, Media Center, Association of Journalists of Montenegro and the Civic Alliance participated in the discussion “Improvement of Media Legislation in Montenegro”.

Media Institute has proposed working together on a media literacy strategy, and strengthening capacity in the digital environment and the new technological conditions in which journalists work.

Representative of the Media Center pointed out that ethics must be a key topic of the media community. Journalistic and marketing texts must be clearly separated, in order to improve the credibility and level of trust in the media, it was pointed out from this organization.

The proposal of the Association of Journalists of Montenegro was that professional associations form a single, independent journalism club, which would have a common position on the definition of journalists and the basic postulates of impartial work. They also suggested that discussions similar to today’s be held in several municipalities, in order to strengthen cooperation with local journalists who, for the most part, work in difficult economic conditions.

Civic Alliance suggested that professional associations work more on educational programs for journalists. The representative of this organization also pointed out the necessity of providing free legal and psychological assistance in cases of violations of the rights of journalists and other media workers.

The round table is one in a series of activities organized by SMCG in order to strengthen cooperation between professional associations and media workers, and to change the legislation in order to improve the media environment.

Round table is part of the project “Improving Dialogue between Journalists’ Associations and Parliaments in the Western Balkans for a Stronger Civil Sector” funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and implemented by the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN).

PRISTINA, 21.05.2021 – The Association of Journalists of Kosovo – AJK, is extremely concerned that even after the reaction about the invitation of the Basic Prosecution in Gjakova toward the journalist Mentor Gjergjaj, the request that journalists not to be prosecuted due to their profession was not taken into account.

AJK was informed that, although it requested that the invitation of Gjergjaj to be withdrawn for an interview in the capacity of a suspect, the State Prosecution, through the Basic Prosecution in Gjakova, illegally requested his interview as a journalist, in the capacity of a suspect, based on a Criminal Report, filed against him by the same person who 3 years ago, respectively on May 3, 2018, threatened the Express newspaper team.

Moreover, according to Gjergjaj, the filed Criminal Report did not contain submission date or the day of its drafting, by which the Prosecution qualified him as a suspect, which for many reasons provided with the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Republic of Kosovo, is very important during the investigative procedure.

Due to the fact that hese invitations from the Prosecution have recently become a practice, AJK, on ​​May 19, through a request sent to the Chief State Prosecutor, Aleksandër Lumezi, has requested of him to call upon the institutions whose mission is to implement the law to act in accordance with applicable laws and to respect the freedoms and rights of journalists, which are guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo.

We have also asked Mr. Lumezi to take appropriate measures against the Basic Prosecution in Gjakova and the Prosecutor of the case.

The next day, AJK received a letter from the Public Communication Office at the State Prosecutor’s Office, stating: “After receiving your email, we requested information from the prosecutor of the case, who informed us that in this case he has not taken a decision on the beginning of the investigation but is carrying out the legally binding verification of the allegations presented in the criminal report by a citizen against the journalist in question for unauthorized recording. ”

AJK reiterates that such invitations are scandalous and tend to threaten and silence journalists. Whereas, we invite journalists not to give up when facing these kind of blackmail.

AJK will continue to monitor this case and we invite the Chief State Prosecutor, Mr. Lumezi to come out with a public explanation regarding this illegal action in relation to the journalist Gjergjaj.

Violations like these pose a risk and shake the foundations of a democratic society.

PRISTINA, 17.05.2021 – The Association of Journalists of Kosovo – AJK, since Saturday (15 May), has followed with concern the developments regarding the case of the journalist Mentor Gjergjaj, who upon an order of the Basic Prosecution in Gjakova has been invited to show up this Tuesday, at the Police Station in Gjakova in order to be interviewed for a case related to an article published by the journalist on May 3rd 2018, in the online newspaper “Gazeta Express”.

Gjergjaj via a post on his profile on social network Facebook has announced that he was invited in the capacity of a suspect from a Police investigator in Gjakova about “recording without authorization”, although as the journalist himself states the respective audio-recording was never published in the media, but was handed over only to the Prosecution as evidence on the threat towards him on that day in Gjakova, while he was reporting from the field.

“When it comes to an audio-recording, then we have a double issue here. That recording or detached parts of it have never been made public, neither in “Express” or anywhere else. Except in the Basic Prosecution of Gjakova, which I have personally submitted to one Prosecutor as evidence, as foreseen with applicable law, about threats towards me and the team of the newspaper at that day, by an Albanian citizen. Along with the recording, I have also submitted names of the case witnesses who until now have never been invited to be interviewed”.

In the press release from the Basic Prosecution in Gjakova is stated that the criminal report filed by G.A, submitted to the Special Prosecution in 2019, has been transferred this year to the competence of Prosecution in Gjakova.

“Prosecution in Gjakova is informing You that the private criminal report of the damaged party GA, submitted to the Special Prosecution in 2019 year, has been transferred to the competence of the Basic Prosecution in Gjakova in 2020. On May 7th 2021, the State Prosecutor has undertaken investigative actions about the criminal offense “Unauthorized photographing and other recording“, in compliance with Article 205, paragraph 1 of the CCRK, where the same, in the capacity of journalist went to the house of the damaged party and recorded him in his personal residence, by violating his privacy. In this regard, Prosecutor of the case has requested questioning of the injured party, G.A., and in the capacity of the suspected person, Mentor Gjergjaj”.

For AJK it is completely unacceptable, disturbing and scandalous invitation to interview the journalist Mentor Gjergjaj in the capacity of a suspect, hence we are inviting the Basic Prosecution of Gjakova to withdraw the invitation for interview, since the audio-recording was never published in the media.

These invitations violate the rights of journalists, freedom of media and freedom of expression, and recently it has become a practice to interfere in the work of journalists.

AJK invites the competent authorities to take action within their competences, as it also is inviting all of the state officials to stop pressuring and obstructing journalists while exercising their profession.

Regarding the mentioned case, AJK will notify all of the international organizations that advocate for the rights of journalists.

PRISTINA, 17.05.2021 – The Association of Journalists of Kosovo – AJK, considers completely unacceptable the offensive language of an official of the Directorate of Education in Prishtina, Anita Xhabiri and the threats of her husband towards the two journalists of the Gazeta Express.

On Saturday, Anita Xhabiri has offended a journalist of Gazeta Express, after she requested about the stance of the Directorate of Education, upon reporting that a minor has been sexually abused from the several students.

“Is it possible to know what day is today. And? For which extraordinary case are you calling on Saturday from the Newspaper? Are you sane? You should never call me on this number. Never! “You stupid pig”, are the words with which Xhabiri addressed the journalist according to the reports of Gazeta Express.

Following the publication of the news about the insult, it is reported that Editorial Office of the Gazeta Express on Saturday has received a threatening phone call from Xhabiri’s husband. He demanded that the news about his wife should be removed, where he threatened that if such a thing will not happen, the journalists will personally deal with him.

“You must delete the news, I am going to the Police, but if you do not remove the news, in addition to the Police, you will personally deal with me. You have problems with my family, behavior or whatever you write, and eat sh * t, you will be in trouble. When you call my wife, you will have to deal with me. I do not care for what you are calling my wife, you are calling my wife, for official information, go to hell. This news that you have published, you will deal personally with me, not officially. You are going to remove it, I am going to the Police and then coming to you and we will solve the case immediately, did you understand? ”

Following the reporting of the case to the Police, journalist of Gazeta Express was interviewed in the capacity of a victim. Meanwhile, the suspected person was arrested and after an interview upon the prosecutor’s order was released in the regular procedure.

“A Kosovo male suspect was arrested after that he, according to a Kosovo male victim has threatened over the phone the victim who is journalist. The suspect has denied that he has threatened her, but he has only asked to remove an article in relation to the suspect’s wife. Regarding the case, the state prosecutor was consulted, who recommended that after an interview the suspected person to be released and the case to be processed in the regular procedure “, it is announced in the report of Kosovo Police.

For AJK it is worrying the fact that journalists are still victims of such insults and threats from public officials. Such denigrating language from the municipal official and the threat made to journalists by her husband is completely unacceptable and violates freedom of expression and of media.

AJK invites public officials to recognize the role of journalists in a democratic society and to distance themselves from insults and threats against them. Whereas, for any injustice that they consider that is being conducted towards them, to address to the competent authorities.