The Albanian Union of Journalists has spoken in support of journalist Juli Ristani who has been sued by the Ministry of Defence.
Ristani and two media outlets published the complaint of the parents of a student who competed for a medical scholarship and complained the process was rigged. The article was published in the portal Shqip and includes a document where initially the student, a candidate for a scholarship from the Greek government and who was ranked first by NATO, had their ranking changed and did not win the scholarship.
The parents of the student said they were threatened by a Ministry of Defence employee Belioza Coku.
The Union gave an official statement in which they supported Ristani.
“The article was published by a journalist with much experience and contribution to reporting and investigative journalism. Therefore the reactions of the Ministry of Defence and the mobilisation of the court through the lawsuit constitute an intimidating act and pressure on the free reporting of journalists and media involved in its publication.”
It is still not known on what grounds the Ministry has sued the journalist.
