Alsat reporters prevented from doing their job

AJM requests an immediate reaction from the municipality of Saraj regarding yesterday’s incident with the Alsat team, where they were prevented from filming by residents

Yesterday at noon, the Alsat television journalist team consisting of Melihate Rustemi (journalist) and Bojan Kostovski (cameraman) were prevented from doing their job. According to their information, the team arrived in the village of Gorno Svilare (Saraj Municipality) after previously received information that the residents do not have drinking water. After a few minutes of filming, a person in civilian clothes appeared and towards them aggressively shouted that it is forbidden to film there and told them to leave the village immediately. The man said that he was in charge there and that’s why they should carry out his orders, saying that their information about lack of water is not correct, but without leaving an opportunity for the reporters to check. At the same time, he asked the journalist for permission to record.

The journalist Rustemi together with the cameraman Kostovski, after the reasoning that filming in public areas does not require permission from the institutions, after the appearance of several more people, and in order to avoid a bigger conflict, they were forced to leave the area, that is public and find another place to finish their job.

The Alsat team recorded the entire verbal conflict, which was also broadcast on yesterday’s television news.

AJM points out that this treatment of journalists contributes to their censorship. That is why we ask the Ministry of the Interior to take specific measures against the person, in order to prevent the journalists’ right to work and the citizens’ right to information.