Parliament abolishes prison sentences for press offences
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has hailed the Macedonian parliament’s approval on 10 May 2006 of a criminal code amendment proposed by the government decriminalizing defamation. Previously, journalists convicted of defamation faced up to three years in prison. “A candidate for EU membership, Macedonia is one of the few European countries to amend its laws […]
ARTICLE 19 calls on authorities to expedite adoption of freedom of information law
(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release: MACEDONIA MUST EXPEDITE ADOPTION OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW ARTICLE 19 today called on the Macedonian authorities to speed up the adoption of the “Law on Free Access to Information of a Public Character” and ensure that serious flaws in the draft are resolved. […]
Appeals Court annuls lower court ruling in case of Albanian journalist
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a 4 October 2005 letter by the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an IPI affiliate: H.E. Branko Crvenkovski President of the Republic of Macedonia Skopje, Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Fax: +389 2 3112 147 H.E. Ljupco Jordanovski President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia Skopje, Republic of […]
Political party attempts to ban broadcasting of Serbian music in Macedonia
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a press release by the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an IPI affiliate: Vienna, 6 June 2005 The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is concerned […]
SEEMO concerned about restrictions on free movement of journalists
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a press release by the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an IPI affiliate: SEEMO Concerned About Restrictions on Free Movement of Journalists in Republic of Macedonia Vienna, 17 December 2004 The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South […]
ARTICLE 19 issues second memorandum on draft access to information law
(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is a 15 October 2004 ARTICLE 19 press release: On 15th October 2004, ARTICLE 19 publishes its second Memorandum on the draft law on Free Access to Information, of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Memorandum comments on a proposal developed by the Ministry of Justice which is due […]
ARTICLE 19 issues memorandum on draft law on Free Access to Public Information
(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – ARTICLE 19 has announced the publication of a memorandum on the draft law on Free Access to Public Information. The organisation welcomes the draft law and regards it as a positive step to advance freedom of expression and information in Macedonia. The draft law has some of the key elements needed in […]
Increased funding to state-owned news agency threatens existence of privately-owned media, says WAN
(WAN/IFEX) – In a 25 September 2003 letter to Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, WAN and the World Editors Forum expressed their concern over the government’s consideration of a request to provide increased funding to the state-owned Macedonian News Agency (MIA). According to reports, MIA, which already dominates the market in news agency services, recently […]
Journalist attacked, near death in hospital
(RSF/IFEX) – On 26 September 2002, RSF condemned a night-time attack on the editor-in-chief of a radio station, which left him in critical condition in hospital. The organisation called for action to find and punish those responsible for the attack. Three armed men broke into the offices of Tumba radio station, in the Macedonian town […]
Government targets media ahead of parliamentary elections
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 6 September 2002 CPJ press release: MACEDONIA: Government targets media ahead of parliamentary elections New York, September 6, 2002-The Interior Ministry of Macedonia announced today that it is filing criminal libel charges against Marjan Djurovski, a journalist with the weekly magazine Start, which is based in the Macedonian capital, […]
IPI concerned over threat to newspaper’s independence
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a 5 September 2002 letter to Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski and Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski by IPI and its affiliate, the South East European Media Organisation (SEEMO): H.E. Boris Trajkovski President Skopje Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – FYROM Via Fax: +389 2 112 147 H.E. Ljubco Georgievski Prime Minister […]
Cover price of government-owned newspaper cut in half
(WAN/IFEX) – In a 3 July 2002 letter to Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski, WAN and the World Editors Forum (WEF) expressed serious concern over a 50% reduction in the cover price of the government-owned “Vecer” newspaper in the run-up to elections. According to reports, the publishing house Nova Makedonija, in which the government owns a […]
Journalist and others injured by government minister
(WAN/IFEX) – In a 24 May 2002 letter to Macedonian Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski, WAN and the World Editors Forum expressed their serious concern at the injuring of a journalist, two police officers and a translator by Minister of Internal Affairs Ljube Boskovski. According to reports, on 15 May, while on a tactical exercise with […]
Journalist briefly detained, threatened
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a letter of protest from the IPI affiliate South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), regarding the security of journalists in Macedonia: H.E. Boris Trajkovski President Office of the President Skopje Macedonia By Fax: (+ 3892) 112 147 Vienna, 15 June 2001 Your Excellency, The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), […]
Police assault two Agence France-Presse contributors
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Macedonian Interior Minister Ljube Boskovski, RSF protested the assault on Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondent Colin Neacsu and his interpreter Lumni Murseli. Both men were arrested on 8 June 2001 and mistreated for several hours at a Skopje police station. “The unacceptable assaults on the two men must be unequivocally […]
CPJ calls for investigation into murder of journalist
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 29 March 2001 CPJ press release: JOURNALIST KILLED ON KOSOVO-MACEDONIA BORDER CPJ Calls For Investigation Into Source Of Attack March 29, 2001, New York — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) deplores the death of a British journalist this morning in the Kosovo village of Krivenik, near the Macedonian […]