The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) condemned the behavior of the employees at the Constitutional Court that mistreated the journalists that wanted to report about today’s meeting between the President of the Constitutional Court Sali Murati and the EU Ambassador in Skopje, Samuel Žbogar.
“Even though the media was invited to report about the meeting, the journalists were allowed only to record several video clips and then they were ousted from the court’s building. Even though the Constitutional court has a press office for meetings with journalists, the employees at the court in an impudent manner walked the journalists outside of the building and notified them that statements can only be taken outside of the building. This incident is further inadmissible when it is known that the constitutional court is the institution that is supposed to be the main protector of freedom of speech” said AJM’s press release.
AJM has called upon the Court in the future to provide decent conditions for journalists to be able to work and not to set a negative example in the society about the relation between an institution and the journalists.
A condemnation about the event was also issued by the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia (CMEM).
“This precedent is a strong blow to the citizens’ right to be informed through the media about the current problems. Additionally, the institution that is supposed to be amongst the most distinguished ones in a democratic society with this act is creating an act of non-transparency that could be followed by others” said SMEM’s press release.
