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Κλίμα εκφοβισμού των μέσων ενημέρωσης επικρατεί στην ΠΓΔΜ, σύμφωνα με
τον ειδικό εισηγητή του ΟΗΕ για το δικαίωμα της ελευθερίας της έκφρασης,
Φράνγκ Λα Ρου, ο οποίος πραγματοποίησε τριήμερη επίσκεψη στα Σκόπια,
όπου είχε συναντήσεις με κυβερνητικούς παράγοντες και εκπροσώπους
δημοσιογραφικών ενώσεων.
Η κριτική στην κυβέρνηση και σε κυβερνητικούς αξιωματούχους δεν γίνεται ανεκτή στη γειτονική χώρα σύμφωνα με τον κ. Λα Ρου, ο οποίο; Αναφέρθηκε και στο λουκέτο που μπήκε στον μεγαλύτερο τηλεοπτικό σταθμό «Α1», αλλά και σε κάποιες εφημερίδες.
Ιδιαίτερη αναφορά έκανε στο γεγονός ότι οι αρχές δεν διεξήγαν ποινική έρευνα για το δυστύχημα από το οποίο έχασε τη ζωή του ο εκδότης και δημοσιογράφος, Νίκολα Μλαντένοφ.
Ο ειδικός εισηγητής του ΟΗΕ χαρακτήρισε ως «προοδευτική», σε γενικές γραμμές, τη νομοθεσία της ΠΓΔΜ,η οποία όμως, όπως είπε, αρκετές φορές δεν εφαρμόζεται στην πράξη, ενώ εξέφρασε την ανησυχία του «για νομικούς μηχανισμούς που ορθώνονται και που περιορίζουν το τοπίο για τα ανεξάρτητα μέσα ενημέρωσης της χώρας».
Η ολοκληρωμένη έκθεση του ΟΗΕ, για την ελευθερία της έκφρασης στην ΠΓΔΜ, θα παρουσιαστεί στο Συμβούλιο Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων του ΟΗΕ, τον Ιούνιο του 2014.
http://www.elzoni.gr
25/6/13
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- FYROM Media 'Intimidated', UN Rapporteur Says...
On a visit to FYROM, the UN Rapporteur for freedom of speech, Frank La Rue, said journalists increasingly operated in a climate of intimidation.
At a press conference in Skopje on Friday, La Rue said that an atmosphere of intimidation existed towards journalists in FYROM.
“There is an atmosphere of intimidation towards any kind of critical press that questions, investigates or criticises the authorities," he said.
"Journalism should be practiced without a feeling of fear and with absolute independence,” he added.
La Rue mentioned several examples of decreasing media freedom in FYROM, such as the closure of the daily newspaper Fokus and other media outlets.
He also mentioned the deficient investigation into the death of Nikola Mladenov, the detention of Nova Makedonija journalist Tomislav Kezarovski, and poor implementation of the freedom of information law.
La Rue urged the authorities to conduct a detailed investigation into the death of Mladenov, a journalist who died in March in a car accident.
“This case can’t be treated as a simple traffic accident. A detailed investigation should be done so that cloud of suspicion and fear that it provoked could be dispelled,” he said.
The UN rapporteur said it was also unacceptable for a journalist to be detained merely for having published an article.
“The detention of Kezarovski sends a negative signal about the situation with freedom of the media in the country," he maintained.
"Using detention to solve a case in which the identity of a protected witness was uncovered in a newspaper article is disproportional and I regret that the authorities denied my request to meet Kezarovski,” La Rue added.
Kezarovski, an investigative journalist on Nova Makedonija, is being detained for 30 days in relation to an article he wrote back in 2008 for Reporter 92 magazine in which he revealed the identity of a witness in a murder case.
La Rue assessed the decriminalization of defamation and libel in FYROM as positive but noted that lawsuits against the media were piling up.
“I was informed about the accusations against Fokus and its editor and journalists only because they transmitted the statement of a former ambassador to the Czech Republic," he said.
"It is completely inappropriate for the courts to work on lawsuits for defamation for transmitting statements of officials or third parties,” La Rue added.
Fokus published an article quoting Igor Ilievski, a former ambassador to the Czech Republic who laid the blame for various illegal acts at the door of the head of the secret police, Saso Mijalkov.
He has since demanded 15,000 euro in compensation from the paper, 10,000 euro from the editor and 2,000 euros from the author of the article.
La Rue's report on media freedom will be finished next year and presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2014.
Balkan Insight (21/6/13)
*(After the necessary corrections with the name "FYROM".
GREECE recognised this country with the name "FYROM")
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La Rue: Authorities in FYROM threaten media and critical journalists ....
ReplyDeleteSkopje, June 21, 2013
The representative of UNO for the freedom of speech and thought, Frank La Rue launched criticism today in Skopje over the functioning of media in FYR Macedonia.
La Rue said that media and journalists, who are critical toward power, are targets of pressure and intimidation from the authorities.
UNO official stressed that FYROM has good laws, but the problem consists on their application.
“My general assessment is that the legislative system in FYROM is advanced, but the same thing cannot be said about the application of laws in practice and policies in reality. I can identify a tendency of intimidation toward critical journalists or investigative journalism. I believe that FYROM has an intimidating atmosphere against any form of critical media which deals with specific investigative or critical issues toward current government officials”, declared La Rue.
La Rue gave concrete examples of the pressure toward media, by mentioning the shutdown of A1 TV network and three other newspapers, along with the lack of expertise about the death of the owner of “Fokus” newspaper, Nikola Mladenov.
La Rue also stressed that the Criminal Court has not allowed him to visit journalist Tomislav Kezharovski, who is under police custody. On behalf of UNO, he recommended the review of the new bill on the media, which according to him has the tendency to limit the activity of journalists.
The UNO envoy made these comments in the framework of the preliminary evaluation of the report on the state of the media in the country, the version of which will be published next year in the Council for human rights at the UNO. The EU enlargement commissioner, Stefan Fule criticized FYROM yesterday about the lack of freedom of speech during a conference on the freedom of the media. /ibna/
- See more at: http://www.balkaneu.com/la-rue-authorities-fyrom-threaten-media-critical-journalists/#sthash.dRJCLYuX.dpuf
Custody for a journalist in FYROM condemned by OSCE ...
ReplyDeleteThe representative of OSCE for the Freedom of Media, Dunja Mijatovic has condemned today the fact that the investigative journalist, Tomislav Kezharovski is still being held in custody in Skopje.
Criminal Court of Skopje has decided to continue to hold the journalist under custody for another 30 days. The journalist in question has already passed 60 days in custody, since May 28 when he was arrested in relation to an article written in 2008 for “Reporter 92” magazine, in which he revealed the identity of a witness in a case for murder.
“It’s unacceptable for a journalist to be arrested for his reporting. I have already intervened twice for this case last month. Today I’m very concerned about the fact that the court has prolonged his custody for another 30 days”, said Mijatovic.
Three days ago, Kezharovski started a hunger strike as a sign of protest for the prolongation of his custody. He’s reported to be in a bad mental and physical state as a result of his arrest. Civil society and many colleagues of Kezharovski have expressed their concern about his state.
“I call upon the authorities to listen to the voice of civil society and I also call upon Tomislav Kezharovski to end his hunger strike”, said Mijatovic, underlining the importance of allowing journalists to carry out investigations on issues of public interest. /ibna/
- See more at: http://www.balkaneu.com/custody-journalist-fyrom-condemned-osce/#sthash.yyfEZReZ.dpuf
25/7/13