Albania: Investigative Journalists Shot At And Threatened While Reporting Illegal Mining – CFWIJ Calls For Immediate Action
Location: Albania, Fushë-Krujë
Date: February 8, 2023
Journalist Antela Lika and her crew were violently attacked and threatened at gunpoint when investigating an illegal mining operation in Fushë-Krujë, Albania. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed at the incident and calls for Albanian police to immediately find and charge the perpetrators.
On February 8, Antela Lika and a team of journalists from investigative TV show Fiks Fare were threatened and physically attacked while filming illegal mining at the ZeZe River in Nikel, Fushë-Krujë. The Top Channel team was using a drone to film footage of an excavation when three armed men shot at their drone. The journalists called the police. These armed individuals were filmed by the Fiks Fare cameraman and shown in their report.
While they were awaiting the police, two men approached them. They threatened the journalists and ordered them to leave, saying “the river is ours.” Next, a masked man appeared. He broke their camera, assaulted a member of the film crew, and threatened them. They continued filming with their phones and managed to escape. According to reports from Top Channel, the incident lasted more than thirty minutes. Police arrived over fifty minutes after they had been alerted.
The journalists gave their footage to Durrës police station at their request. Police have identified those involved in the attack and three people have been declared wanted. Police have also begun proceedings into truck drivers suspected of being involved in illegal mining.
In March 2022, Antela Lika and Fiks Fare's investigative team were filming a report on a bird flu outbreak when they were threatened and attacked by farm employees. They alerted the police, but Lika told CFWIJ that the perpetrators were not prosecuted.
Speaking to BIRN about the latest attack, Lika said if measures had been taken in the first instance, it could have contributed to the improvement of the safety climate for Albanian journalists and prevented further attacks.
Albanian president Bajram Begaj has denounced the assault on the journalists saying, “I express indignation over this serious act of violence against media workers.” He added that “threatening the lives of journalists in the exercise of their duties should not be tolerated in a democratic society.” The Audiovisual Media Authority and the Union of Albanian Journalists have also condemned the incident.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism applauds Albanian police for swiftly identifying and searching for the men involved in the attack. However, this is the second violation involving Antela Lika in less than a year. The inaction of police in attacks and threats against journalists in Albania fosters a culture of impunity. Assaults against the press are damaging to democracy and must be treated seriously. Journalists must be allowed to do their work without fear and police should ensure their safety.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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