EFJ Accuses Macedonia Police of “Brazen Intimidation” of Journalists After TV Raid

The European Federation of Journalists, the regional group of the International Federation of Journalists today condemned yesterday's raid by the police of Macedonia's national broadcaster A1 TV. The police claimed the raid was part of a fraud investigation, but the journalists are convinced it is part of political pressure on a media outlet that has been critical of the authorities.

"Macedonia has a very poor record when it comes to defending the independence of journalism and this raid smacks of brazen intimidation of journalists," said Aidan White, the General Secretary of the EFJ. "We deplore this intervention and we support our member, the Macedonian Association of Journalists, in its protest against this latest assault."

Though it has not been confirmed that the TV channel was in fact the target of the original raid the drama played out during a live broadcast throughout the evening with several hundred people trying to break through the police cordon around the building.

The station's journalists, who were initially trapped inside the building, claim the raid was an attempt to shut down the TV station which is known for its criticism of the government. They say the police blocked them from doing their jobs and that two of their colleagues were physically attacked by the officers.

"The police must give a full public explanation of these events," said White. "When police action leads to public outcry like this they must be held accountable and the people who ordered the raid must take their responsibility."


For more information contact the EFJ at   +32 2 235 2215       

The EFJ represents over 250,000 journalists in over 30 European countries