Last night, someone attempted to arson the garage of the editor of the public broadcaster (Radio-television Kosovo), Alban Selimi in Prishtina.
Alban Selimi announced that someone tried to intimidate him, but that they did not achieve it. “Someone set it (the garage) on fire; to scare me. They didn’t achieve their goal!”, he wrote on Facebook. The journalist put down the fire with the help of his neighbors.
The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) suspect that this attack is connected with the journalist’s last show in which he spoke about constructions of new buildings in Prishtina – how the new buildings lack basics.
Xhemajl Rexha, chairman of the board of AJK, expressed his concern regarding the attempted arson. “We are very concerned about this serious incident, in which a part of the private property of journalist Alban Selimi was set on fire. Selimi has been working many years with the Public Broadcaster, RTK reporting on many issues of public interest, and this attack is indeed a sign, some groups are unhappy with his reporting. We call on Kosovo Police to offer the necessary protection for him and his family, and to lead a prompt investigation and find those responsible who should face justice”, said Rexha.
SafeJournalists Network, representing more than 8,200 media professionals in the Western Balkans, strongly condemns very severe intimidation of our colleague Sellimi, and calls on the authorities to investigate the motives of this attack, find the perpetrators as soon as possible and adequately punish them.
SafeJournalists network will inform all relevant national and international stakeholders about this case.
Each attack on journalists is an attack on public interest, democracy and rights of all citizens.
Belgrade – Podgorica – Pristina – Sarajevo – Skopje – Zagreb, 17.3.2023
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
BH Journalists Association
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro
