AJM: Condemnation of threats and insults on journalist Miroslava Byrns

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia strongly condemns the threats and insults against the Free Press journalist Miroslava Byrns by Laste Ivanovski, an employee of the Customs Administration.

Yesterday Ivanovski on Facebook wrote comments with inappropriate insults and threats against Byrns. This inappropriate way of communicating and online harassing is unacceptable and poses a direct threat to freedom of speech.

We urge the Ministry of the Interior to take urgent action to clear this case. At the same time, given that the threats are imposed by a person who is a civil servant, we urge the Customs Administration to take appropriate sanctions against their employee so that such cases are not repeated in the future.

AJM reminds that online threats and harassment are on the rise in the pre-election period and once again appeals to parties and citizens to refrain from threats to journalists as this is a criminal offense for which rigorous penalties are provided.