PRISTINA, 19.03.2018 – The Association of Journalists of Kosovo reacted against the decision of the director of the Air Navigation Services Agency to cease communication with journalist Ardiana Thaci Mehmeti.
Journalist Thaci Mehmeti understood that it was the director Bahri Nuredini that ordered the public institution to stop the communication with her. This was announced when the journalist recently submitted a request for access to public documents in this agency and she was refused access because of the director’s decision.
These actions of the director of the public institution present violations of the principles of respecting transparency and it is a direct violation of the law on access to public documents.
AJK demands from director Nuredini to withdraw his decision and we encourage him to create professional relations with media, in this case with journalists Thaci Mehmeti too.
The association is also asking this and other institutions to respect the Law on Access to Public Documents and be open for journalists.
On November 24th, 2017 AJK has reacted against a smear campaign against journalist Thaci Mehmeti by the director Nuredini because the latter did not like her investigative reporting’s.
Last year, Nuredini massively published information saying that no one from the agency should talk to journalist Thaci Mehmeti. The lynching information was published in a screen which is located in the main hall of the agency. Also, such information was published in the agency’s website for some time. The journalist was accused of spreading disinformation and it’s a journalist that works for other interest groups.
The information was removed from the screen and the website after the reaction of AJK last year.