FYROM journalists codemn Albanian threats to journalist

[Crvena zvezda]

Macedonia`s Journalists Condemn Threats by Albanian Party


15 05 2007 Skopje_ Macedonia`s Association of journalists on Tuesday strongly condemned on threats made by the ruling Albanian party to well-known journalist and called the authorities to prevent similar cases in the future.



In reaction to a column by Iso Rusi published in Koha daily newspaper last week, the Democratic Party of Albanians produced a statement on its party website, carried also in the Albanian-language daily, Koha, on Friday, referring to Rusi as a product of the former communist secret police, UDBA, and describing him as a “bastard” and as “garbage”.

“You, Rusi and those around you, will not have peaceful sleep not only by the leadership of DPA but also from every activist of the party,” the statement said. “Until the last activist of the party exists, you will never ‘blossom’ in this region,” it said.


The threats contain hate speech, religious and ethnic insults and an open threat to his life, representing the height of vulgarity, primitivism and an appalling attack on journalists and the profession, the Association said in a statement.

The association said it was “dismayed with the low level of political culture” from one of “Macedonia’s relevant political players.”


The Macedonian Association of Journalists also said it had informed the International Association of Journalists and “all the relevant embassies and missions” in Macedonia of the threats. It also urged state bodies to “undertake all measures stipulated by laws and the constitution” in this and similar cases and it called on other journalists and media to condemn and react against such cases.

In his column, Rusi looked critically at the DPA’s hostility to liberalising the organization of religious communities in the country, describing the DPA’s thesis that one ethnic community should have only one religious organisation as wrong.


A political debate is still ongoing in Macedonia over a new law for the country’s religious communities. Its adoption is one of the main preconditions for meeting the demands of the EU and NATO for eventual membership.