Representatives of the Association of Journalists of Macedonia had a meeting today with public prosecutor Ljubomir Joveski, where they talked discussed improving the mutual cooperation for issues of common interest.
The prosecution informs that AJM president Naser Selmani expressed concern that in Macedonia there is a policy of impunity regarding violence against journalists. Selmani asked Joveski that the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) speed up the process in these cases in order to bring the perpetrators to justice.
He complained that in the last period, the prosecution had rejected reports concerning hate speech against journalists, without any serious argumentation.
Selmani asked the PPO to go through the reports again and to see whether the prosecutors had acted responsibly.
“It was agreed to organize joint training programs for journalists and prosecutors in order to improve the reporting of journalists and the actions of prosecutors regarding cases of freedom of speech. Prosecutor Joveski promised that he would hasten the dynamic for the cases of violence against journalists and he would review reported cases of hate speech against journalists. According to him the cooperation of the prosecutors office and the Association of Journalists of Macedonia is of mutual interest,” reads the statement from the PPO (Public Prosecutor’s Office).
Yesterday the AJM presented a report on the Freedom of the Media and the Security of Journalists in Macedonia for 2017, which says that in the past year in Macedonia, 18 attacks of journalists were registered, of which 13 were physical and verbal attacks, while others were insulted, obstruction at work and destruction of the property.
According to yesterday’s announcement, the AJM is concerned that even after the change of power, the prosecution does not show much interest in processing these attacks.
The text is created within the framework of the project “Media Reform Observatory”, implemented by the Foundation for Internet and Society Metamorphosis, “Agora” Center for Promoting Civil Values and the Platform for Investigative Journalism and Analyzes – PINA, with the financial support of the “Foundation Open” Society – Mace
donia “. The content of the text is the sole responsibility of the authors and can in no way be considered to reflect the views of the “Open Society Foundation – Macedonia”.
