The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its European
group, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), have condemned the
continued imprisonment of Macedonian journalist Tomislav Kezarovski after he
was yesterday, Wednesday 24 July, remanded in custody for a further 30 days.
According to IFJ and EFJ affiliate, the Trade Union of Macedonian
Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM), Kezarovski appeared in court in
Macedonia's capital city Skopje where the ruling was taken to extend his
detention. The journalist, who has already been held in custody for the last two
months, is believed to be on hunger strike in protest at the decision.
"We are deeply concerned at the continued incarceration of our colleague
Tomislav Kezavoski and we unreservedly condemn the decision of the Macedonian
court to detain him for another 30 days," said IFJ President Jim Boumelha. "Keeping
Keravoski in custody undermines his rights and freedoms as a journalist and
calls into question the right to freedom of expression and information in
Macedonia."
"The recent IFJ World Congress in Dublin adopted a
resolution, proposed by the SSNM and supported by the Association of Jounralists of Macedonia (AJM) and a number of our affiliates, giving our full support to Kezarovski and the
SSNM and its campaign for press freedom."
Macedonian police
detained Kerarovski, an investigative journalist who works for the Nova
Makedonija daily newspaper, in May and he has been held in custody in Skopje's
Shutka prison ever since. He was arrested in relation to an article he wrote in
2008 for Reporter 92 magazine in which it has been claimed he revealed the
identity of a protected witness in an unresolved murder case from 2005.
However, in February of this year the protected witness told a
Macedonian court that his testimony in the case had been false and had been made
under threat from the police. An investigative judge has reportedly demanded that the journalist
reveal the identity of his source. At the end of last month a Skopje court ruled
that he should remain in prison for another 30 days, and today's decision means
that his incarceration will be further extended.
"We support fully and unconditionally Kezarovski's right not to reveal
his source. Journalists must be
allowed to carry out investigative reporting of issues in the public interest
free from the threat of imprisonment and without being forced to reveal their
sources," said EFJ Vice President Nadezda Azhgikhina.
For further information please refer to EFJ Protection of Sources
campaigneurope.ifj.org/assets/docs/223/121/9d4e7df-267f779.pdf
For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 17
The IFJ represents more than 600.000 journalists in 134
countries