Journalists are again prevented from reporting from a public event

In anticipation of the commemoration of Goce Delchev, AJM emphasizes that since it is an event of exceptional public interest, it is necessary to provide conditions for uninterrupted reporting by journalists, both on the day of reporting and today.

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) is reacting to the attitude of the police officers who prevented journalists and media teams from doing their professional work around the Church of Saint Spas in Skopje.

AJM received a reaction from several fellow journalists and media workers who were prevented from doing their professional work in the public space around the church of St. Spas, where the relics of Goce Delchev are located. When asked why they are not allowed to record, they received an answer from the communications service at the Ministry of Internal Affairs that they had such an order, with no details about the decision. We ask the Ministry of the Interior to provide access and not obstruct the right to work of journalists and the right to information of citizens. AJM asks the Ministry of the Interior to provide access for journalists and media teams to locations that journalists consider important for the public, in order to protect the freedom of reporting and public information.

With respect to the security protocols and assessments of the Ministry of the Interior, we point out that they should not lead to censorship in which journalists and the public would be limited or completely denied information related to this event of exceptional public interest.