SEEMO je duboko zabrinut zbog najnovijeg napada na novinare u Albaniji i Grèkoj

20.12.2005.

> The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is deeply  concerned about the recent attack on a journalist in Albania.
According to information before SEEMO, on 11 December, at around 2 a.m., Engjell Serjani, director of Dita Jug newspaper and correspondent for  Gazeta Shqiptare, was attacked and beaten up by two unknown persons in the city  of Gjirokastra. Serjani was leaving a bar next to his office, in order to go home, when two persons stopped him and started hitting him until he lost  consciousness. Later, Serjani recovered consciousness and was able to go to a hospital to have his injuries treated. The two perpetrators managed to escape.
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Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General, condemned this attack on the journalist, "Physical attacks on journalists are both unacceptable and alarming. Journalists must be able to report without fear of harassment and intimidation. This case is very worrying because this is not the first  time that a journalist in Albania was physically attacked. This and other acts  of  violence against journalists are obviously aimed at intimidating the work of
journalists." Vujovic added, "SEEMO takes every physical attack on a journalist in a country of transition very seriously. Particularly because in previous years in South East Europe several journalists have been killed due to their professional work."
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SEEMO believes that a safe working environment for journalists is a
> fundamental principle of any democratic society. We urge the Albanian authorities to investigate this case immediately and to take all necessary action against the responsible persons.
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SEEMO PRESS RELEASE: GREECE
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> Vienna, 19 December 2005
 The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is alarmed about the recent assault on two journalists in Greece.
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 According to information before SEEMO, on Tuesday, 13 December, the reporter of  Mega Channel TV, Christos Michalopoulos and his cameraman, Alfonso Ponse,
 were attacked by unknown men wearing masks and helmets, while covering a demonstration in downtown Athens. The demonstration was organised by trade  unions in protest at a new law introducing significant changes to working practices in the public sector. Two journalists were sent to cover the  demonstration after some 30 masked men burnt down a police car. Later, the two were also attacked and beaten around the head and upper body by the
> same men. They were both taken to a hospital, where their injuries were  treated.
None of the perpertrators could be identified.
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 Speaking about this attack, Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General said, "It is important, that during a demonstration all sides respect the right  of journalists to report on important news events."
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 Vujovic also referred to previous attacks on journalists in Greece, "In  October 2004 sports journalist Philippos Syrigos was attacked in the car park near Super Sport FM radio station, while walking to his car after a radio show. On 7 May, Kostas Nikolakopoulos, a journalist for the sports daily Fos ton Sport and the radio station Super Sport FM was attacked by four unknown men in front of his home in Athens. On 30 September 2005, Periklis Stellas, sports journalist and director of the Thessaloniki  branch of the sports daily newspaper, Goal News, was attacked by an unknown  person
> as he was leaving his office in the centre of Thessaloniki. In both cases, the perpetrators have not been identified yet."
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With the above in mind, SEEMO calls upon the authorities in Greece to find and bring to justice those responsible for these attacks. SEEMO would also like to remind the Greek authorities that freedom of expression and a safe working environment for journalists are the basic principles of any democratic society.
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 SEEMO is a regional network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East Europe.
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 SEEMO - IPI, Spiegelgasse 2/29, 1010 Vienna, Austria, Tel (SEEMO+HELP
> LINE):
> +43 1 513 39 40, Tel (SEEMO): +43 1 512 90 11 11, Fax: +43 1 512 90 15,
> E-mail: info@seemo.org, Web: http://www.seemo.org
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Povratak