About 50 incidents of physical or verbal violence against journalists have been documented by journalists’ and media rights organizations since October 13, when protests against Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government turned violent.
The journalists were covering events on the ground and were identifiable as members of the media.
Të lidhura
None found
Data from the Association of Journalists of Albania (AGSH) show that State Police officers were responsible in 41 cases, or about 80 percent of the incidents.
Protesters were involved in the other incidents. The organization documented physical assaults, threats, interference that obstructed reporting, damage to equipment, and insults directed at journalists and other media workers.
Glidona Daci was one of the journalists who encountered police interference. She was reporting live from the anti-government protests in Albania when she was sprayed with tear gas.
During her live report for Klan News, Daci can be heard asking police officers not to touch the camera operator or spray gas toward her, reminding them that the camera was broadcasting live.
According to Daci, the officers pushed her and ignored her objections. She told BIRN that an officer then sprayed tear gas directly at her, hitting part of her face. The gas also landed on the camera lens and got into the camera operator’s eyes.
Daci said she was not breaking any rules at the time. She stressed that there was no justification for pushing her, as no security cordon had been set up there.
AGSH head Isa Myzyraj said the State Police’s conduct went beyond disregarding journalists. He said they had faced obstruction, threats and shoving, as well as being struck with hard objects, rubber bullets and spray.
Myzyraj emphasized that, in some incidents, officers had acted against journalists even though they were clearly identifiable as media workers.
On October 20, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also denounced the attacks. The organization reported that, during the preceding week, at least 12 journalists and media workers had been subjected to physical violence while covering the protests, chiefly at the hands of police.
RSF, which ranks Albania 83rd out of 180 countries and territories in its World Press Freedom Index, called for those responsible to be punished and for existing measures to protect journalists to be implemented. It also urged parliament to hold the authorities accountable for their response.
Reuters also reported that two of its journalists had been hit by rubber bullets, leaving circular marks on their bodies.
Myzyraj said the police’s responsibility does not end with refraining from violence against journalists. He stressed that they also have a duty to protect journalists and ensure they can report without obstruction.
From peaceful rallies to daily clashes
The protest movement against Rama’s government began in late May. Initially, opposition centered on a proposal to build a luxury tourist resort in an environmentally protected coastal area. The project was linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
The rallies remained peaceful for several months before daily clashes broke out between police and young protesters in mid-October. The protesters demanded Rama’s departure, accusing him of corruption and economic mismanagement. The prime minister has consistently refused to resign.
Julian Hoxhaj, a news editor at Syri television, said police targeted him on October 18 as he tried to film several people who, he said, were obstructing other journalists’ work. He said about 12 officers kicked him in the legs and forcibly removed him from the protest area.
Hoxhaj described the intervention as involving direct violence, kicks, being dragged and brutal language from the officers. He added that he had told them he was a journalist and shown them his media identification card.
Hoxhaj said he intended to file a lawsuit against the police officers, their superiors and the interior minister.
Speaking to BIRN, he described the lawsuit primarily as an act of dignity, connected to more than 40 incidents of violence and intimidation against journalists. He said these involved people who had been attacked, frightened, obstructed and insulted while carrying out their duty to cover the student protests since October 13.
Another account came from Lorin Kadiu, head of Citizens.al. He said an officer fired a rubber bullet that passed very close to his face simply because he was photographing the officer.
Kadiu told BIRN that he was alone at the time and easily identifiable as a journalist because both his helmet and his clothing bore the word PRESS.
He added that a water cannon had deliberately targeted him several times that same day. He said it damaged his filming equipment, even though he was doing nothing that could obstruct police operations.
Equipment, training and safety in the field
Alongside the reported violence, Myzyraj raised concerns that journalists in Albania still lack suitable equipment and training for working in hostile conditions.
According to the AGSH head, the country has yet to develop an established culture of protecting journalists working in the field.
He explained that many have not received specific training in covering events in hostile environments, assessing and managing risks, or responding to tear gas, rubber bullets and other crowd-control measures.
Myzyraj also noted that not all newsrooms have provided their journalists with helmets, protective goggles, masks and other essential equipment.
Kadiu argued, however, that even equipment and training would not provide sufficient protection. He said preparation, protective gear and training cannot shield a journalist from a direct attack by state agents, who should be the very people guaranteeing their safety.
Journalist Inva Hasanaliaj told BIRN that her observations and personal experiences on the ground in recent days showed repeated instances of police failing to respect journalists’ role and status. This happened even when the journalists were easily identifiable and carrying out their professional duties.
Hasanaliaj stressed that she had seen many colleagues face danger without the preparation needed for such situations. She noted that covering protests in Albania is often considered routine work, although it can become a high-risk situation in just seconds.
The effects on mental health are another issue that often goes overlooked.
According to Hasanaliaj, witnessing violence and violent arrests, or personally experiencing aggression and threats, is not something that ends when the camera stops recording. She warned that such experiences can have long-term effects, while many newsrooms still operate on the belief that journalists must be strong and carry on working as though nothing has happened.
