Alienum phaedrum torquatos nec eu, vis detraxit periculis ex, nihil expetendis in mei. Mei an pericula euripidis, hinc partem.
Today’s police action against the editorial office of News 24, and other media outlets housed in the same building — carried out without any public notice and under the shadow of a long-running political campaign against critical media — is an alarming strike at the very heart of Albanian democracy.
For years, this government has invested in efforts to portray critical journalism as an enemy: labeling independent media as “trash bins,” calling for their “re-education,” and systematically eroding public trust in those whose very purpose is to hold power accountable.
Most recently, in an effort to further fuel public hostility against journalists and civil society organizations, the Prime Minister has chosen to label BIRN, Reporter.al, and other outlets as “journalist associations” — a deliberately dismissive term, linking them to misleading stereotypes about NGOs and undermining their credibility.
This latest act is not an isolated incident but rather the culmination of a deliberate campaign to intimidate, silence, and delegitimize the vital role of media and critical voices in society.
We are appalled by the blatant disregard for the fundamental truth that a people without a free press are a people denied the right to know. The staged display of force and the political theater of this summer are nothing more than a shameful cover for a record of scandals and a total absence of a “people first” approach.
As a youth center, we stand in unconditional solidarity with all journalists, editors, and media workers, whose work is the lifeblood of an informed society.
We call on every democratic institution, every group in civil society and the media, and every citizen to reject intimidation and defend the principles that keep Albania free.
⚠️ The silencing of one newsroom is an attack on the very people it serves!
