Today’s intervention of the State Police on the premises of News 24 and Panorama Group, with the brutal interruption of the television signal, is a serious political act, not a technical and legal procedure. It aims to hit a critical media outlet and send an intimidating message to any independent voice: anyone who dares to expose corruption and power links to crime will be punished. In any democratic society, free media is the fundamental guarantee of accountability, the protection of the public from abuse and corruption. In systems where freedom of the press is attacked, the boundaries between democracy and autocracy disappear. Today, Albania is seriously in danger of crossing this red line.

A Recurring Pattern of Closing Critical Voices

This is not a first precedent. Earlier, Ora News faced similar interference, and the Agon Channel was shut down, leaving dozens of journalists out of work and the public without an alternative source of information. Today it is News 24, tomorrow it could be any other media that dares to be independent. This model is typical for regimes that, step by step, build total control over public information.

Freedom of expression – the foundation of democracy

Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU clearly guarantee the right to freedom of expression and to receive information without interference by the authorities. The closure of a television signal for political reasons is a direct violation of these international acts, which Albania has ratified and should implement. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Albania has experienced a significant decline in its media freedom index, primarily due to political, economic, and judicial pressures on journalists. Today’s action is not just a matter of a television – it is a clear indication of the erosion of democratic standards.

Calling of the Union of Professional Albanian Journalists of Diaspora (UPAJD)

We condemn with the utmost force this assassination of free speech and call on: Immediate resumption of News 24 broadcasting and guarantee of the right to function without political interference. Independent and transparent investigation into the actions of the State Police and punishment of those responsible. Establishment of strong legal mechanisms that protect the media from censorship and from political and economic pressure.

Active solidarity of all editorial offices – because silence today is complicity tomorrow.

The media is not a decoration of democracy; it is the pillar that keeps it standing. When the media is silent or shut down, the citizens lose the power to control. If today it is accepted that a television has its voice turned off for political reasons, then tomorrow it can be accepted that the citizens will also be silenced for any criticism. The UPAJD declares that free speech is a red line. Any power that crosses this line is not attacking just one media or a few journalists – it is attacking the fundamental right of every Albanian to know the truth. Democracy cannot survive without free media. Free media cannot survive without the courage to challenge power.

August 9, 2025

Unioni i Gazetarëve Shqiptarë Profesionistë të Diasporës (UGSHPD)

Verband Albanischer Berufsjournalisten der Diaspora (VABD)

Union of Professional Albanian Journalists of Diaspora (UPAJD)

L’Union des journalistes professionnels albanais de la diaspora (UJPAD)

Unione dei Giornalisti Professionisti Albanesi della Diaspora (UGPAD)