Yesterday, journalists from Kosovo media Gazeta Blic were attacked in northern Mitrovica as they were trying to film a story on food supplies to citizens following the Coronavirus outbreak.
Reporters Nebih Maxhuni and Daimant Bajra and cameraman Arsim Rexhepi approached a place where flour was being sold and inquired as to whether the supply was sufficient for their needs. Two young Serbians approached them and punched Maxhuni in the face and ear and then pushed Bajra and Rexhepi. Injuries sustained by Maxhuni required medical attention at the hospital in Mitrovica.
Blic called on the authorities to investigate the case and to take action against the perpetrators.
In a statement published on their website, they stated: “obstructing freedom of expression is a fundamental violation of the democracy of society. Blic invites law enforcement agencies to create a conducive environment for the work of journalists, especially when they face the risk of Coronavirus.
The Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Jan Braathu, and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, condemned the physical attack.
Braathu stated: “it is important that people remain calm in these difficult times and that journalists are allowed to work without fear of violence, including in inter-ethnic contexts.”
Desir strongly denounced the attack, stating that “Freedom of the media needs to be guaranteed and protected at any time. In the current circumstances, the media must be able to report and publish freely, without intimidation or violence, on issues related to the current health situation.”
Both called for a swift investigation of the incident and for all societal actors to do their utmost to allow the unimpeded work of journalists under current difficult circumstances.
