The Council of Europe Platform on the Safety of Journalists has published a media freedom alert about a petrol bomb attack on journalists in Albania and subsequent personal verbal attack on AEJ Albania president Arber Hitaj.
The petrol bomb attack came during a public protest at the end of May about allegations of corruption against the mayor of Albania’s capital Tirana – Erion Veliaj. A masked man in the crowd was seen hurling a petrol bomb which burst into flames in an area reserved for TV journalists and camera operators. The journalists narrowly escaped after a warning from a police officer.
Albanian journalists joined a day of solidarity with the TV journalists and camera operators and on May 29 the Association of European Journalists in Albania called for the authorities to arrest the attacker. The police subsequently arrested a 40-year-old suspect.
But a spokesperson for the opposition Re-establish Democratic Party questioned at a press conference why the AEJ Albania called for the arrest of the petrol bomb attacker instead of the mayor.
And she described AEJ Albania president Hitaj as “pro-government”.
Hitaj, who hosted and organised last year’s AEJ International congress in Albania, says his family including his retired father were accused of having sold out to the current government and notes that “the AEJ’s Albania section has always been politically balanced and has never taken sides, and in numerous statements has been very harsh with the Socialist government when there have been violations of human rights or harassment of the media.”
The AEJ International has expressed full support for the Albania section and president Hitaj, and for “colleagues anywhere subjected either to violence or to smears and personal attacks”.
The CoE alert calls for a thorough investigation by the government of Albania and conviction and sentencing of the suspect petrol bomb attacker. The government has two months to respond in writing and take effective actions.
CoE alert on petrol bomb attack on journalists
Video of attack
AEJ Albania president Arber Hitaj writes about attack
AEJ International congress 2023 in Albania
