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12 03 2008 The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network has sent a letter to the Albanian Prime Minister expressing concern over a assault on Besar Likmeta, Balkan Insight's editor in Albania. Numerous international media organisations, embassies and international organisations that monitor freedom of press violations were also notified of the incident.
H.E.
Sali Berisha
Prime
Minister of Albania
Blvd
Zog I, Tirana,
Albania
Mr.
Grid Rroji
Director
of the Communications Office for the Prime Minister
Your
Excellency,
The
Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, a group of editors and media
trainers in nine countries in the Balkans and publisher of Balkan Insight
(www.balkaninsight.com) is alarmed and deeply concerned over the assault on our
Albania editor, Besar Likmeta.
Likmeta
was brutally attacked by MP Tom Doshi during an interview at the Sheraton hotel
in Tirana in the evening of March 10 in front of another MP, Arben Isaraj, from
the Socialist Party.
During
research for an investigation about fake diplomas in Albania – published on February 20 (http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/investigations/8041/)- Balkan Insight obtained documents showing
that one deputy, Tom Doshi, had a certified degree from Tetovo University despite the fact that he never
finished his studies in law.
The
Balkan Insight investigation did not contain the name of Mr. Doshi. However, as
his Tetovo degree mysteriously disappeared from his CV on the web site of the
Albanian parliament, Mr. Likmeta requested an interview with Mr. Doshi`s to give
him the opportunity to clarify the matter.
Likmeta
called the MP, Tom Doshi, on Monday, March 10th, around 9.30 and explained that
in the documents Balkan Insight has obtained from the Ministry of Education, he
is identified as having certified a law diploma from Tetovo University. The university has informed
the Albanian Ministry of Education that Doshi’s law degree is a
fake.
Doshi
agreed to meet for an interview at 10.30 pm at the Sheraton Hotel in Tirana
where he came with Arben Isaraj.
Through
out the interview Doshi demanded to know why Likmeta was covering this story and
denied he had presented any fake documents. He repeatedly told Likmeta that it
was extremely brave of him to pursue this story. Isaraj than asked Likmeta if he
really lived in this country and was he out of touch with reality.
“Then
abruptly Doshi started hitting me with some sort of leather file holder that he
had with him. He broke my glasses and gave me a black eye before leaving,”
Likmeta said.
At
the time of the attack in the Sheraton hotel bar, there were several witnesses:
two foreigners working on laptops, MP Isaraj and the barman. No one offered
help.
After
Likmeta tried to get witnesses to give statement on the attack, the barman
ordered him to leave, or he would be kicked out.
BIRN
is deeply concerned about this attack. We urge you to do everything in your
power to investigate this case and to prevent such incidents from occurring in
the future. It is important to note that the journalist who was so badly
mistreated was simple trying to give a member of parliament a chance to tell his
side of the story. Media workers must be able to work freely.
We
thank you for your attention.
Yours
sincerely,
Gordana
Igric
BIRN
Regional Director
At the beginning of 2010 BIRN network published Digging Deeper - A Guide for Investigative Journalists in the Balkans, written in cooperation with Sheila Coronel, Director of the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism and professor of professional practice at Columbia University, New York.
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