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BIRN Regional Conference Begins

Regional Conference on “Transparency of Courts and Responsibility of the Media” begins in Sarajevo.

A Regional Conference on “Transparency of Courts and Responsibility of the Media” has started in Sarajevo. The Conference is being organized by the Balkans Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, – Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the three-day event, from September 1 to September 3, 2009, participants will explore ways of bridging the gap between judicial institutions, local authorities
and the media in the Western Balkans region.

“Our intention is to open a dialogue on the importance of responsible, timely and objective information sharing on war-crimes trials and the need for transparency of the judicial institutions before which these trials are conducted. Both things are important for regaining the trust of the public in the region for the judicial system and enabling people who have been victims of the gravest violations of human rights to start believing in justice,” Nidzara Ahmetasevic, BIRN – Justice Report Editor, said in her introductory speech.

On the first day of the Conference representatives of judicial institutions from the region discussed their experiences in long-standing work with the media, as well as their future plans for increasing transparency.

The first official from the judiciary to address the Conference was John Hocking of the Registrar’s Office with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, who reminded participants that the transparency of the ICTY’s work has been a significant part of its legacy, adding that the Tribunal has for years sought to explain its work to “the community which it serves”.

Meddzida Kreso, President of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that from the beginning of its work the Court has been aware of the role of the media and the influence it has on public opinion, adding that the Court therefore decided to “open its courtrooms” immediately. She stated that the media had made “good progress” in terms of war-crimes reporting.

“We must secure good work conditions for the media. We find it important for Bosnian citizens to know what is happening in the State Court’s courtrooms. Our citizens have the right to know the truth. We respect their right. Our trials are public and the media are welcome to be there,” Kreso said, also recommending that other courts in the country “start opening their courtrooms” to the public.

Chief State Prosecutor Milorad Barasin was among the speakers. He reminded Conference participants that it is very important for “the victims to see justice being implemented in practice”. Sinisa Vazic, President of the War Crimes Council of Serbia, stated that the interests of the public and the protection of the criminal proceedings had to be taken into consideration when reporting from courtrooms.

“The relation between the judiciary and the media is an issue that is often put aside. This particularly refers to the influence of the media. The media have multiple roles, starting from the positive role of protecting and communicating information, to a potentially negative role of abusing the judiciary for reasons of media interest or in the interest of powerful groups,” said Branko Hrvatin, President of the Supreme Court of Croatia.

On the second day of the Conference, September 2, editors from media outlets in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, representatives of non-governmental organizations and spokespersons of judicial institutions will discuss the responsibility and reliability of the media in court reporting and the importance of war-crimes reporting. Round table on media freedoms was held with Viktor Ivancic from Croatia, Petar Lukovic from Serbia, Vildana Selimbegovic from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ana Petruseva, BIRN regional editor from Macedonia.

Life in Kosovo discusses the Roma community in Kosovo

This Thursday Life in Kosovo will broadcast a discussion on the much rewarded and debated movie “The Shutka Book of Records,” as well as a debate on the Roma community living in Kosovo.

In the course of the show, BIRN will also broadcast the movie “The Shutka Book of Records” and will afterwards debate on how the movie portrays Shutka and Roma people.

Why was this movie so vehemently opposed by the Roma community? Why does the image of Roma people in the movie continue to denigrate the entire community? How much do these movies contribute in the shaping of prejudices towards this community?

To discuss these issues Jeta Xhara’s guests in the studio will be:

Shpresa Agushi, from the Organisation of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Women
Enver Petrovci, director and playwright,
Kujtim Paçaku, publicist;
Nexhip Menekshe, playwright

In the course of the show, BIRN will also broadcast a “Week’s Highlight” report, prepared by BIRN journalist, Jeta Abazi, who brings the director of the movie “One sun, one nation,” Sami Mustafa that is also the organizer of the Roma film festival in Kosovo, scheduled for October.

Life in Kosovo is a co-production between Kosovo Public Television,
RTK and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN. It is
broadcast every Thursday, starting at 20:20.

Life in Kosovo debates preparations for 2009 elections

Thursday’s Life in Kosovo discusses the local elections scheduled for November 2009.

How are the preparations for the 2009 elections progressing? What have we learnt from elections in 2007? Who will count votes this time? What is happening with the possibility of camera surveillance?

To discuss these and others related to organising and managing the 2009 local elections, the following will join Muhamet Hajrullahu in the studio:

Nesrin Lushta, head of the Central Elections Comission, CEC ;
Mazllum Baraliu, legal expert and the former head of the CEC Secretariat;
Ibrahim Makolli, vice head of the New Kosovo Alliance, AKR ;
Leon Malazogu, analyst and the former leader of the Democracy in Action
coalition who monitored the 2007 elections;
Burim Ramadani, secretary of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK

BIRN will also broadcast an exclusive interview with the President of the
Republic of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu, about this year’s local elections.

Life in Kosovo is a co-production between Kosovo Public Television, RTK and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN. It is broadcast every Thursday, starting at 20:20.

Conference on Court Transparency and Media Responsibility

The BIRN Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina is organizing a Regional Conference on “Transparency of Courts and Media Responsibility”, in Sarajevo from September 1 to September 3, 2009.

The conference will explore ways of bridging the gap between judicial institutions, local authorities and the media in the Western Balkans by sharing best practice. Conference participants will discuss judicial transparency and timely, objective and reliable reporting on crimes committed during the conflicts of the 1990s, as well as the institutions and mechanisms for dealing with these crimes.

The Conference will utilize the expertise of international war-crimes experts, legal experts, and journalists who specialize in war-crimes reporting.

More than 60 people from the region, as well as representatives from the Hague Tribunal and international non-governmental organizations and media have already confirmed their participation in the conference.

As part of the event a thematic evening on “Limits of Freedom of Speech” will be convened. Discussion will focus on the role of the media in war reporting and in reporting crimes.

On the final day, September 3, a workshop will be organized for media representatives, on court reporting and respecting professional standards and the law on free access to information.

Since 2004 BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina has been one of the key actors in bringing justice closer to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. For five years now its highly acclaimed Justice Report news agency has provided daily coverage of war-crimes trials and transitional justice issues.

BIRN is the only organization in Bosnia and Herzegovina which has provided a daily record of testimony and trials before the State Court of BiH War Crimes Chamber since the Chamber was established.

Radio Justice Report Begins on August 14

Starting this week, ever Friday, BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina will broadcast a weekly ten-minute radio magazine programme on war-crimes trials.

The BIRN Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina will mark the first anniversary of its Radio Justice programme in the near future. The programme has been well received by colleague reporters as well as by the domestic BiH audience and the Diaspora.

Encouraged by this positive response and by constructive criticism, the BIRN Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina has decided to launch a weekly magazine programme on trials conducted before the War Crimes Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The ten-minute programme will be broadcast on our partnering radio stations starting on August 14, this Friday. The programme will consist of news about the latest trials before the War Crimes Chamber, analysis and announcements regarding the following week’s trials. We will use audio files from the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as those recorded by our journalists in the field.

The BIRN Office produced its first audio reports in October 2007. Originally it produced a series of radio features on the status of the local judiciary. The BIRN team of journalists visited courts and prosecutors’ offices in nine towns across the country. The features were broadcast by radio stations throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In August 2008 we began broadcasting daily news about war-crimes trials before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The BIRN team produces at least two audio reports daily. These reports are broadcast by about 130 radio stations in BiH, and by radio stations outside the country.

From the very beginning the stories have been well received.

Radio Justice was initiated with the aim of making Justice Report stories produced in written form accessible to a larger number of people who are interested in following trials conducted before the War Crimes Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For four years Justice Report has covered the trials conducted before the Chamber. All reports are published on our web page: www.bim.ba; they are also conveyed through numerous print and electronic media in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the region and further afield. Our page receives more than 11,000 hits each month.

Radio Justice is broadcast in local language, and the written reports are published in local language and English.

Because of the success of Justice Report, it became possible to launch the Radio Justice project, which has generated considerable public interest from its inception.

Since August 2008 we have published more than 300 reports, which have been broadcast on radio and TV. All our written and audio reports are provided free of charge.

Our estimates show that Radio Justice reaches about one million listeners.

The BIRN team guarantees that Justice Report and Radio Justice reports are objective, timely and of the highest quality.

Inspired by the success of our print and audio reports, the BIRN Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina intends to start a new project called TV Justice. This will comprise half-hour TV programmes which will be provided free of charge to local TV stations for broadcast, starting from the biggining of next year.

BIRN Albania Editor wins the CEI SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merit in Investigative Journalism

The Central European Initiative, CEI, and the South East Europe Media Organisation, SEEMO, have announced that Besar Likmeta, BIRN’s Albania Editor, has been awarded the CEISEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism.

The Jury composed of prominent journalists, correspondents and editors from across Europe, examined a total of 26 nominations from 12 CEI Member States. Jury members took into account the personal risks taken in uncovering stories, the quality of reporting and the impact on society of the message conveyed, when making their decision. It was unanimously decided that the Award should go to Besar Likmeta. With this selection, the Jury said that they intended to “promote the good investigative journalism carried out by a very young journalist and, more in general, to convey a signal of support to the development of investigative journalism in Albania, which is particularly significant for this country”.

In addition to the prestigious award itself, Likmeta will receive a significant cash endowment from the CEI Executive Secretariat on the occasion of the traditional “CEI Journalists Forum”, to be held in Warsaw, Poland, in September 2009.

Besar Likmeta, born in Durres in 1983, is currently editor and project manager of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN. Likmeta’s investigative work has stretched from fake degrees to consumer protection and fraud by large state corporations. In 2008-2009, Likmeta produced several significant investigative reports that were widely republished and which have also made an impact in Albanian society.

“Albania Ignores Trade in Fake Degrees”

“Wind Farm Threatens Albanian Paradise”

“World Bank Demolished Albania Village”

Balkan Insight’s Managing Editor, Ana Petruseva, endorsed the judges views: “Besar’s work has been crucial to the development of our coverage in Albania and his bravery, dedication and tirelessness in pursuit of a story is an inspiration to us all.”

Likmeta has worked as professional journalist for various print publications, electronic media and television. He started his career reporting for the Florida Times Union in Jacksonville, Florida. He moved to Albania in 2005 where he has been a features editor for the Tirana Times, a world news editor for the 24 hour news channel, TV Ora news, and lately as BIRN Albania editor. He has also contributed stories to various publications such as Jane’s Intelligence Review, Business Week and World Politics Review.

Kosovo Daily Fined for Breaching Press Code

Kosovo’s press council has voted to fine newspaper Infopress 1,000 euro following a series of hostile articles against BIRN Kosovo.

The Pristina daily was found to have breached the Press Council of Kosovo’s code of conduct in five articles which attacked BIRN’s Life in Kosovo television show and its presenter Jeta Xharra.

Following the vote on June 22, Infopress has been ordered to pay a 1,000 euro fine and print the council’s findings within three days.

The press council, a self-regulatory body which is represented by almost all print media in Kosovo, said that allegations that Xharra was a “servant of the Serb secret police” could pose a “direct physical threat to her and members of her team” and recommended the issue be referred to the police and judiciary for investigation.

The front-page article and interview, in which Sami Lushtaku, PDK mayor of Skenderaj, made the allegations against Xharra, was ruled to be “unsubstantiated” and the council recommended it be referred to the prosecutor’s office, the police and the courts for “possible violations of the criminal code, such as threat, incitement to violence (or even to murder)”.

In its adjudication of Xharra’s complaint, the council said that some of these issues were beyond its remit, but added: “However, based on the Press Code, some parts of the respective interview such as “Jeta Xharra is a servant of the Serb Secret Police” without being substantiated by concrete facts in support of this allegation, could pose a direct physical threat to her and members of her team, when considering the negative actions of this notorious police unit over decades against people of Kosovo and the bitter memories which it could bring back to the Kosovo public, when a journalist is vested with the epithet of a “servant” of that police unit without sustainable arguments as in the concrete case.”

The articles followed a Life in Kosovo television debate on press freedom. It featured a video report in which BIRN Kosovo’s news team was shown being expelled from the Skenderaj municipality’s Office for Public Information, and forced to leave the town by an armed man who confiscated their footage.

Infopress reacted to the report from the Drenica region, the heartland of the former Kosovo Liberation Army, with a series of articles including: A frontpage story which alleged that RTK, the publicly funded channel which broadcasts the show, was “terrorising Drenica”; an interview with Lushstaku which included a front-page heading “Lushtaku: Jeta Xharra is a servant of the Serb Secret Police”; and an article entitled “Four treasons of Jeta”, which included the comment that “Jeta chose herself not to live a long life”.

Regarding the first article, the council decided that although the views expressed were part of an opinion piece, the newspaper had failed to distinguish between comment and information by printing the allegations on the front-page.

The council wrote: “Although this article represents personal views of an author, press council nonetheless considers that the attacks using improper epithets are unacceptable.”

The press council agreed that the second article, which depicted Xharra as a “servant of the Serb secret police”, represented the views of both the interviewee, Lushtaku, and the “somewhat” the position of the newspaper. The council wrote: “Such publishing in the front page which depicts the accusations of Lushtaku against Jeta Xharra and her crew somewhat represents the standpoint of the newspaper.”

The press council ruled that comments in the third article suggesting Xharra had “chose herself not to live a long life”, represented “an incitement and hate speech as defined in Article 3 of the press code”.

Infopress later sought to clarify the sentence, claiming it should not be construed as a death threat.

The press council wrote: “This is yet another case that indicates that [the] newspaper should have intervened in time in order to avoid the suggestion of intimidation to the life of journalists in order to enable them to freely exercise their profession and in order to ensure free press without dictation by anyone.”

Another two editorials were also found to have breached Article 3 of the code: An editorial published on June 5, in which Xharra is portrayed as a war profiteer, and another article in which she is “presumed guilty of treason”.

The council wrote: “These articles taken together could not only endanger the life and work of Jeta Xharra and her team, but also contain professional deficiencies.”

All members of the council have been requested to publish the adjudication “due to the seriousness of the case”.

The Infopress articles, which were printed between May 29 and June 7, caused a political storm, with senior diplomats, NGOs and journalist groups condemning the attacks.

Calls were also made for the government to distance itself from the campaign in Infopress, which receives a significant proportion of advertising money from the PDK-LDK coalition government, and is widely seen as pro-PDK.

Following pressure, the government released a statement saying that “all isolated occasions when the freedom of expression is threatened are punishable by the government”, but a government spokesman explained this was a “general statement” and was not specifically aimed at the Infopress coverage.

On Wednesday June 10, Infopress called an end to its “debate” on the Life in Kosovo show, saying the issue had been discussed fully and that it had listened to the comments from “local and international organisations”.

Kosovo: Journalist Under Fire

Kosovar journalist Jeta Xharra is a spy for Belgrade, if one is to believe a campaign waged by pro-government press over the past week targeting the “Life in Kosovo” program, which she hosts on public television and which dares to address controversial and even taboo topics.

Author: birnEU