FLASH
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The Journalists Association of Albania has addressed the International Community through a letter regarding the unprecedented attack on News24 by the State Police.
Since the morning of August 9, "News24" television has not been on the air after the Police, in collaboration with KAYO employees led by Ardi Veliu, turned off the broadcasting equipment and took the journalists outside.
AGSH considers this action a dangerous precedent against the media and freedom of expression in Albania.
AGSH also calls on all international institutions, media organizations, and diplomatic missions to closely monitor the situation and react to ensure that our country remains committed to international standards of freedom of expression and the media.
Letter from the Journalists Association of Albania:
Dear Sirs,
The Journalists' Association of Albania expresses its deepest concern about the events that occurred in the early hours of August 9, 2025, when State Police forces surrounded the Focus Media Group building in Tirana, where four major media outlets operate: News24, BalkanWeb, Panorama and Gazeta Shqiptare.
On behalf of the Journalists Association of Albania, we would like to directly emphasize that such actions seriously violate media freedom and create fear and uncertainty for all media outlets in the country in the future. This is not the only case when the police have acted arbitrarily. In the last decade, two other media outlets have been closed — AgonChannel and RTV Ora — where, despite the existence of a court decision, the presence of special police forces inside the television premises was condemned by the entire international community.
According to official statements from the media group itself, during the operation:
The power went out, leaving News24 without a broadcast signal;
Journalists and staff were denied entry to the newsroom;
The work of the editorial offices was suspended and public access to media content was interrupted.
Although we are aware that the property is the subject of a dispute between the owners of News24 and the Albanian state, we believe that this does not legitimize the presence of police forces and the unilateral interruption of the broadcast signal.
Also, according to all public sources of information, other businesses owned by the head of the media group have previously been the subject of controversial actions, including the demolition of a complex with TNT, which the television executives themselves called at the time a political attack.
This precedent poses a serious threat to media freedom and creates a climate of fear among journalists and the public. We emphasize that, regardless of the editorial positions or internal issues of any media outlet, such attacks on the normal functioning of editorial offices undermine the foundations of democracy and the public's right to be informed.
Dear colleagues,
Given that Albania is an aspiring country to join the European Union, we believe that it is urgent to respect the rule of law and we demand:
The immediate lifting of the blockade and the restoration of full access for journalists to their workplace;
Restoration of electricity and full working conditions for the editorial offices;
Immediate publication of the legal basis and the authority that ordered this action;
Ensuring that any future action affecting the media is carried out only in accordance with due process of law, under judicial supervision and with the principle of minimal interference.
We call on all international institutions, media organizations, and diplomatic missions to closely monitor the situation and respond to ensure that Albania remains committed to international standards of freedom of expression and the media.
Every attack on journalists is an attack on democracy, the public interest, and fundamental human rights.
Chairman of the AGSH
Isa Myzyraj
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