FLASH NEWS
AGSH also joins the call of 27 international and national organizations: Authorities to clarify the blocking of Focus Media Group! Journalistic materials to be protected
2025-08-12 11:45:24 / AKTUALITET
The Association of Journalists of Albania (AGSH) has joined the joint statement of dozens of local and international media freedom organizations, which demand urgent clarifications on the police actions against Focus Media Group, which includes News24, BalkanWeb, Panorama and Gazeta Shqiptare.
The statement, signed by the SafeJournalists Network, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Press Institute (IPI), comes after the events of August 9, when the State Police surrounded the media building in Tirana, cut off electricity and prevented journalists from entering, interrupting the broadcast of News24.
According to the signatories, these actions were carried out without warning and on unclear legal grounds, raising serious doubts about proportionality and respect for procedures.
They warn that the shutdown has left around 230 media workers without work opportunities and at risk of unemployment.
The organizations are calling on the Albanian authorities to publish the legal basis for the operation, lift the police cordon, restore power supply, and allow free access to the newsroom, as well as protect journalistic materials and equipment.
We, the SafeJournalists Network, partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Albanian media freedom organizations, express our shared concern over the police crackdown and subsequent events affecting Focus Media Group: News24, BalkanWeb, Panorama, Gazeta Shqiptare and other affiliated media outlets.
In the early hours of August 9, the State Police surrounded the building in Tirana where these media outlets operate, cut off the electricity supply and prevented access for journalists and staff. This stopped News24’s live television broadcast. According to Focus Media Group, no prior warning was given for the effective interruption of the broadcast signal.
The police action stems from a wider property dispute between the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation (MEKI) and Focus Media Group over rents and procedures. However, the strong police intervention has so far apparently been carried out on unclear legal grounds and without due process . In the absence of a published legal basis, court decisions and enforcement orders, or a clear timeline and steps for the continuation of the process, the legality and proportionality of the action are seriously questioned.
As a result, since August 9, one of Albania’s leading national news broadcasters, News24, has been off the air. As of August 12, 2025, there is still no clarity on when broadcasting will resume, nor on the future of Focus Media Group’s journalists, media workers and support staff. This uncertainty undermines public trust, weakens pluralism and risks creating a chilling effect on media freedom.
The impact on media workers is immediate and serious. Around 230 employees, journalists, media workers and support staff now face the risk of unemployment, while many of them have been experiencing delays in salary payments and non-payment of social security and health contributions for some time. With the building blocked and activity disrupted, their livelihoods and professional futures are at risk.
Therefore, we jointly call on the Albanian authorities to guarantee journalists' right to work, their safety, and:
In the meantime, we call on the owners and executives of Focus Media Group:
This is not simply a contractual dispute. This situation raises fundamental issues regarding due process, proportionality, media freedom, and the protection of journalists and media workers. All parties must act swiftly, transparently, and in the public interest to ensure that these rights are respected and protected.
Signed,
SafeJournalists Network
Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) Partners
Civil society organizations in Albania:
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