Dozens of Macedonian journalists from several media outlets yesterday came out for a peaceful protest in front of the Civil Court in Skopje, expressing their revolt against the court verdict against the Investigative Reporting Laboratory (IRL), which is seen as a threat of censorship, an attempt to silence and control journalism.
Organized by the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) and the Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM), on this protest messages were sent to authorities that should not attempt to infringe the right to independent information and that institutional censorship should not be carried out in favor of the powerful.
The court decision sets a precedent that threatens the principles of democracy, Macedonian journalists say.
The verdict for the story “Conspiracy against the air” was announced on October 24, and last week the written explanation was provided, in which there are a series of problematic qualifications bordering on censorship and threats to close the media.
Namely, the judge Jovanka Spirovska Paneva, in the explanation of the verdict 8P5-33/23, disputes the status of journalists in IRL and claims that IRL is not a media outlet or an association for “journalistic reporting”:
“IRL does not have the status of a media outlet as a means for informing the public according to the Media Law, and its members do not have the status of journalists, nor can they, for the purpose of informing the public, create journalistic broadcasts, represent themselves as journalists, or to be engaged in investigative journalism and publish all this through the means of public information.”
“Journalism under attack, we are united”, “Censors in the name of the powerful”, “Our work is for the public, not for our colleagues”, “Modular judiciary”, “Convicted for the truth”, “We are not a jukebox, we are journalists”, were just some of the messages on the banners of yesterday’s protest. Journalists, cameramen and photo reporters said the verdict is an act of intimidation and an attempt to control the media.
In front of their colleagues, journalists Sead Rizvanović, Irena Mulachka, Mefail Ismaili and the representative of Blueprint – the group for juridical reforms, Tona Kareva, addressed the crowd.
“The scenario from the time of A1 (former Macedonian television station closed during the rule of Nikola Gruevski) is being repeated, and just like then, we knew what it was about. The goal was not to shut down the television, the goal was to silence us, a process that was repeated after in other media and in other ways. We also remember the persecution of Tomislav Kezarovski and other cases. Now it’s happening in a different form, but the content is the same,” said journalist Sead Rizvanović.
His colleague Irena Mulachka said that the judiciary does not work in the interest of the public.
“For a longer period in the past, judges worked in favor of businessmen and politicians, and we journalists are here to tell the truth. No one can silence us or prevent us from raising our voice or publishing the truth that is important for the citizens. The most important of all is the journalist’s pen and the public interest is above everything else, because people must be aware of what is happening in the country”, said Irena Mulachka.
From the civil sector, Tona Kareva spoke out, stating that such court decisions seriously threaten the work of civil organizations.
“When trust in the judiciary is at a such low level, this type of verdict does not contribute to increasing trust, and judges must be brave enough to work in accordance with laws and international standards and principles. Such a verdict sends a message to citizens that they should remain silent and passive in the face of corruption and injustice, which is contrary to all principles and standards. The law must serve to the justice, and citizens’ associations must remain dedicated to working for a democratic society where the fight against corruption and the rule of law and democracy will be the main principles,” she emphasized.
The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) reacted by stating that the written explanation of the verdict for the story “Conspiracy against the air” by IRL uses a series of problematic qualifications bordering on censorship and threats of closing down the media outlet.
Judge Jovanka Spirovska-Paneva, who decided in the case “Brako vs. IRL,” disputed the status of journalists in IRL in the explanation of the verdict, claiming that IRL is not a media outlet or an association for journalistic reporting. At yesterday’s protest, the Association of Journalists of Macedonia and the Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) prepared a plaque “Censor of the Year” for this judge.
In the light of the qualifications in the court verdict regarding whether authors of the story “Conspiracy against the air” are journalists or not, the Metamorphosis Foundation also reacted, emphasizing that it represents a threat to the principle of democratic participation of citizens.
The Metamorphosis Foundation stated that the court verdict is a dangerous precedent, especially in the part where the court embarks on an assessment of whether IRL and the journalists from this newsroom are journalists or not, and whether their investigative story “Conspiracy against the air” could be presented to the public or only to the members of the citizens’ association, which is also the publisher of IRL.
“With this decision, the court establishes a practice that may have serious consequences, as it leads to the restriction of the work of associations and foundations, regulated by Article 14 of the Law on Associations and Foundations. This article states that organizations are free to express and promote their views and opinions on matters of their interest, to lead initiatives, and to participate in shaping public opinion and policy creation,” is stated in the written reaction of the Metamorphosis Foundation.
