Mentor Gjergjaj invited to be interviewed in the capacity of a suspect, Pristina, 17.05.2021

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    Country KO
    Name and Surname Mentor Gjergjaj
    Gender Male
    Date 17/05/2021
    City / Location Pristina
    Type of incident Other threats to journalists
    By whom By public officials
    Name of the perpetrator The Basic Prosecution in Gjakova
    Type of media online
    Media name Gazeta Express
    Source Facebook
    Public prosecutor Raised charges
    Was journalist`s association informed Yes

    On May 14th, 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. 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.