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RSF: Journalists in Albania under pressure, government not keeping promises

Politiko 2026-06-25 17:58:24

The international media freedom organization, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), has urged the Albanian authorities to take concrete steps to fully decriminalize the criminal offenses of defamation and insult, in line with European Union standards, at a time when Albania is aiming for EU membership.

During a media freedom mission to Tirana, held from 17 to 19 June, RSF representatives testified before the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and the Media, chaired by opposition MP Jorida Tabaku. They also held meetings with the Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption, Adea Pirdeni, and the Minister of Justice, Toni Gogu.

The director of RSF's Central Europe and Balkans bureau, Pavol Szalai, visited Tirana after Albania fell three places in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, ranking 83rd out of 180 countries, writes politiko.al. According to RSF, despite the creation of the Platform for Dialogue with the Media, a mechanism supported by the European Commission and the Council of Europe, progress has been limited and Albanian journalists continue to face pressure from politics, media owners and organized crime.

"Trust between journalists and institutions is still fragile. It has been damaged after the Parliament approved only a partial decriminalization of defamation, contrary to the agreement reached in the Platform," Szalai declared.

According to the organization, the reform of the Criminal Code adopted in January 2026 removed criminal liability only for defamation and only for journalists considered “registered and known,” although there is no official registration system for journalists in Albania. RSF notes that the law does not cover journalists’ sources or whistleblowers, while SLAPP lawsuits and online defamation cases remain problematic.

The organization also raised concerns about the safety of journalists, citing as still unsolved the murder of a Top Channel television security employee in 2023, as well as the explosion with explosives in the vehicle of journalist Sami Curri in April 2026.

However, RSF praised some positive steps towards media transparency. According to the organization, a law passed in 2026 obliges audiovisual media outlets to publish their beneficial owners, aiming to limit the influence of political and economic interests in the media sector.

Also, as politiko.al writes, 33 Albanian media outlets have joined the Journalism Trust Initiative, an international standard for transparency and ethics in journalism, in collaboration with RSF and the Albanian Media Council.

RSF emphasizes that progress in the field of media freedom remains an important condition in Albania's European integration process and calls on Albanian institutions to undertake deeper reforms to guarantee the independence and safety of journalists.