Newspaper Quibbles Over Kosovo Death Threat

The Pristina newspaper at the centre of threats made against the BIRN Kosovo journalist Jeta Xharra has issued a ‘clarification’ of a remark widely construed to have been a death threat, while another daily has urged government officials to protect the freedom of speech.

Infopress, the Kosovo daily which has published a week-long wave of front page headlines, articles and editorial slamming Jeta Xharra as a Serbian spy and calling for sanctions against her has claimed two days after its publication that its remark "Jeta has brought it upon herself to have a short life" was misconstrued.

In a note published on page 18 on Saturday, the daily writes, “the article 'Jeta’s four betrayals', written by Rizah Hajdari, published on June 4 in the ‘Opinions’ section of Infopress, was solely a citizen’s opinion as a rebuttal to the televised report on [the town of] Skenderaj which was featured in the 'Life in Kosovo' show broadcast on Radio Television Kosovo. The published opinions in the ‘Opinions’ section of Infopress do not represent the stance of Infopress.

“This sentence, has been either misunderstood or misconstrued intentionally or not by the critics. The daily Infopress, which is not the author of the article, does not see this sentence as life-threatening or used in any other connotation either towards Jeta Xharra or any other journalist. The meaning given to the sentence by the backlashers has been taken out of context, and it was not meant to be at by any means. Infopress regards this as a personal opinion of the author who may have tried to imply that the “Life in Kosovo” show will lose its reputation, importance, objectivity and hitherto credibility, after the television report on Skenderaj was aired on Radio Television Kosovo.“ [N.B. the name Jeta and the word life are the same in Albanian]

However, Ilir Deda, analyst from a Prishtina based think tank KIPRED said: „The context was unfortunately all too clear – how else could it be understood? It's neither credible for Infopress to claim innocence two days later, nor for it to wash its hands of responsibility for opinion pieces it publishes. Infopress's editors are responsible for everything printed in its pages.“

Infopress's page 18 note made no mention of other articles it has continued to publish which also appear to call for violence. On Friday the newspaper attacked Xharra in two more editorial pieces. One of the authors wrote that he „would be honoured to shake the hand of any such dutiful Albanian“ who took it upon himself to „punish“ Xharra.

The „Life in Kosovo“ show Xharra runs sparked controversy on 28 May, when it discussed how government advertising is used to influence the media landscape and recent dismissals of journalists who inconvenienced the authorities.

It featured a video report in which the BIRN Kosovo news team was expelled from the Skenderaj municipality's Office for Public Information in the central Kosovo Drenica region, and forced to leave the town by an armed man who confiscated their footage.

Infopress newspaper, which receives the lion’s share of government advertising revenues, has led the campaign with a series of inflammatory articles on Xharra and the programme, claiming they had set out to denigrate the Drenica region. Threatening emails followed, including death threats.

On Saturday, Pristina daily Koha Ditore in an editorial titled Against the invitation to lynch criticised the authorities for labeling Xharra as a spy and traitor instead of trying to challenge the television report via public debate or relevant institutions.

“The most normal thing that should happen now would be for someone from the political party of the Mayor and the Minister of the Local Government Administration to publicly call for the allegations to be withdrawn and order an apology, rather than issuing statements that sound more like an invitation to lynch“ the editorial said.

The Reformist Party ORA today has urged the President and the Prime Minister to intervene in protecting the freedom of speech, in the manner the Constitution guarantees.

“ Violence against journalists and the long campaign to denigrate them looks more like events in Russia and other dictatorial places rather than in a young and fragile country, which is trying to prove that it is a country where democracy rules,” said Teuta Sahatqija, head of the party at a press conference.

“Attacks to Jeta Xharra and her crew are not attacks towards an individual, a journalist or some others, it is an attack to the free speech when this speech touches the government or government officials,” stressed Sahatqija.

She warned that if these attacks are not prevented, then they will become attacks against intellectuals, workers, and citizens who dare to object to whatever comes from government.

In the open letter, released on June 4, nine NGOs and dozens of individuals expressed concern over the intensifying campaign against Xharra, saying: “We, as citizens, are weary of flying accusations that certain people are ‘traitors.’ This practice, used by people who hold certain positions of power, which they use to label those who disagree with them as ‘traitors’ or ‘Serb spies’, has existed since the 1990s. We know that such labeling is used because the responsible persons cannot ably defend their position through sound arguments.”

On June 3, the international community’s top to Kosovo, Pieter Feith, also spoke out in defence of the "Life in Kosovo" TV programme.

The Albanian Press Association in Tirana also condemned the attacks.
    
Download transcript of Skenderaj Tv debate

Download Infopress articles