At least 12 journalists and media workers were physically assaulted while covering protests held in Albania between October 13 and 19.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said that police officers were involved in most of the cases. In addition to violence, there were also reports of intimidation, obstruction of reporting and damage to journalists’ equipment.
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The international organization is calling for independent investigations, accountability for those responsible and the implementation of measures to protect journalists.
RSF has also called on the Albanian Parliament to examine how the authorities responded during the protests.
RSF’s report documents 28 cases of violence, intimidation or attempts to prevent the dissemination of information between October 13 and 19, affecting at least 23 media professionals.
In at least 10 incidents, physical force was used directly, including hitting, kicking, pushing or forcibly removing journalists from places where they were carrying out their work.
Journalists also reported that their phones were taken or attempts were made to take them, videos were deleted and professional equipment was damaged. Some were also injured by equipment used by police to disperse or control crowds.
Pavol Szalai, head of RSF’s Prague Bureau, said journalists must be able to record police actions without being attacked or obstructed in their work.
“Journalists must be able to document police conduct without being beaten, pushed, detained or otherwise prevented from filming,” Szalai said.
Szalai urged Prime Minister Edi Rama to stop making statements that, according to RSF, encourage the intimidation of media outlets covering protests.
The organization called on the European Union to examine how Albania’s commitments to media freedom are being implemented in practice as part of the European integration process.
Reported incidents during the protests
Data published by RSF and journalists’ organizations show that several incidents of violence against media workers occurred on October 18.
Photojournalist Hameraldi Agolli, a contributor to the Associated Press, was forcibly detained by police, while Renaldo Salianji, a News24 journalist, was physically assaulted. Taulant Kopliku of SYRI TV said an officer had struck him on the shoulder and taken his phone; the device was returned with its footage deleted.
While reporting live on a fire near Police Station No. 3, journalist Marshi Korreshi was hit in the back with a helmet and pushed. Elkier Bushkolaj sustained a leg injury from a rubber bullet, while Juljan Hoxha and photojournalist Felix Bilani said they had been struck by police officers.
Among the publicly reported cases is that of Klan News journalist Glidona Daci. According to the Albanian Journalists’ Association, she was hit by stones in an incident the organization attributes to police officers.
Reuters reported that two of its journalists were hit by rubber bullets during clashes in Tirana on October 17.
On October 13, Izmir Akulli, editor-in-chief of the Dosja.al news portal, ended up in hospital after being physically assaulted near the Bank of Albania. In a statement he published, he said several officers had punched and kicked him as he filmed police intervening against a student.
On the evening of October 19, News24 journalist Osman Stafa and other media workers were prevented by police from following and filming the detention of protesters in the side streets near Rruga e Dibrës in Tirana.
Investigations and calls to implement protective measures
In a statement published on October 18, the SafeJournalists Network said the Police Oversight Agency had begun reviewing allegations of misconduct and that seven officers had been suspended. However, it has not been clarified whether these measures are directly related to the reported violence against journalists.
On October 14, media freedom and civil society organizations, including RSF, called for the full implementation of the State Police Guide on the Safety of Journalists, adopted in May 2025.
The organizations called for independent investigations into the violence and obstruction of reporting, as well as a special hearing in the Albanian Parliament. According to RSF, further incidents were recorded even after this appeal.
In the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders, Albania ranks 83rd out of 180 countries and territories.
