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Insult and denigration, the Journalists Association of Albania condemns Ristan's attack on the "Piranha" journalist

Politiko 2025-06-07 11:23:09

Insult and denigration, the Journalists Association of Albania condemns

The Journalists' Association of Albania has condemned the derogatory language of the acting mayor of Tirana, Anuela Ristani, towards the journalist of the show "Piranja", Edon Kuqi.

Ristani erupted in insults and insults with the terms "slut", "maniac" and "disgrace of journalism" as Kuqi was demanding an explanation for her family's use of the municipality's vehicle and driver.

AGSH calls on public institutions to stop personal attacks on transparency.

"The Journalists' Association of Albania strongly condemns the offensive, denigrating and contemptuous language used by the acting Mayor of Tirana, Ms. Anuela Ristani, towards journalist Edon Kuqi and the team of the investigative show "Piranja".

 Terms like "legend", "maniac", "disgrace of journalism", or accusations of "unprofessionalism" are not only unacceptable in the public vocabulary, but also dangerous for the climate of media freedom in Albania.

Ms. Ristani, instead of transparently answering legitimate questions raised by a journalistic investigation into the use of public resources, chose to verbally blackmail the journalist and attempt to victimize herself in order to avoid the essence of the issue.

The Journalists' Association makes it clear that journalistic work, including tracking and documenting the use of state funds for private purposes, is essential for protecting the public interest.

 Any attempt to criminalize this mission through labels such as "persecution", "blackmail" or "psychological terrorism" is a direct blow to press freedom.

We also emphasize that allegations of “child stalking” should not be used as an emotional shield to cover up abuses of power and public resources. We encourage every media outlet to respect ethical norms, but we firmly reject the criminalization of critical and investigative journalism.

We call on public institutions, especially senior leaders, to maintain communication ethics, guarantee transparency, and stop personal and institutional attacks on journalists.

"Journalists are not enemies of the state, they are the eyes and ears of the public. Therefore, we will not silently accept any attempt to intimidate, belittle or hinder them in the exercise of their duties ," AGSH said in a statement.

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