Macédoine (ARYM) : plus d`une centaine de journalistes mis sur

Macédoine (ARYM) : plus d’une
centaine de journalistes mis
sur écoute illégalement
Le
gouvernement
macédonien
est
accusé
par
le
chef
de
l’opposition d’avoir illégalement mis sur écoute les
téléphones de plus de 20.000 citoyens, dont plus de 100
journalistes.
La Fédération européenne des journalistes (FEJ) ainsi que ses
membres macédoniens- le syndicat des journalistes macédoniens
et travailleurs des médias (SSNM) et l’Association des
journalistes de Macédoine (ZNM) – ont exprimé leur grave
préoccupation au sujet de nouvelles allégations de
surveillance de masse non autorisée de journalistes et des
citoyens en Macédoine.
Zoran Zaev, chef du parti d’opposition Union sociale-démocrate
de Macédoine (SDSM, centre-gauche), a publié aujourd’hui
(25/02/2015) des informations détaillées sur les écoutes
téléphoniques de plus de 100 journalistes macédoniens durant
plus de trois ans.
« Cette violation de la vie privée affecte directement la
liberté de presse en Macédoine et alimente un climat de peur
et d’autocensure. Si les accusations sont confirmées, les
autorités macédoniennes seront coupables d’avoir violés le
droit des journalistes à protéger leurs sources », a déclaré
Mogens Blicher Bjerregård, Président de la FEJ.
« Nous avons à maintes reprises crié notre désarroi face aux
agissements du gouvernement macédonien – en réalité d’un petit
groupe de personnes au sein de ce même gouvernement – visant à
contrôler le travail des journalistes et le contenu des
médias. Nous savions que la situation était déplorable mais
c’est horrible d’entendre les preuves de ces soupçons », a
déclaré Tamara Causidis, Présidente du SSNM.
« Le Premier ministre Nikola Gruevski, le ministre de
l’Intérieur Gordana Jankulovska ainsi que le chef des services
secrets Sasho Mijalkov doivent démissionner et peu importe qui
a ordonné la mise sur écoute, ils sont responsables. Leur
devoir était de prévenir une telle violation massive des
droits et des libertés constitutionnels des citoyens. Leur
démission devrait nous aider à éclaircir toute l’affaire « , a
ajouté Naser Selmani, Président de ZNM.
La situation de liberté de la presse s’est gravement
détériorée en Macédoine en raison de menaces croissantes et
des cas de harcèlement visant toutes les voix critiques envers
le gouvernement du Premier ministre Nikola Gruevski. En six
années, la Macédoine a chuté de la 34e (2009) à la 117e (2015)
dans l’indice mondiale de la liberté de presse publié par
Reporters sans frontières. L’affaire très controversée du
journaliste Kezarovski reste encore une grave préoccupation
pour la FEJ et la FIJ.
(Crédit Photo: Reporters sans Frontières)
Macedonia:
where
investigative
journalism
leads directly to jail
It is essential that international organizations not only have
press freedom as key issues, but also pursues effectively the
abuses that are taking place and put pressure on the
authorities to correct those attacks on press freedom, writes
Mogens Blicher Bjerregaard, President of the Danish Union of
Journalists and EFJ President.
By Mogens Blicher Bjerrregård
I’m just back from Macedonia where I had the opportunity to
visit a journalist whose life is in ruins because he does not
want to disclose his sources. The European Federation of
Journalists sent a letter to the Macedonian Ambassador to the
European Union. Similar letters have been sent to the
ambassadors across Europe in the hope that the journalist will
not go back to jail for the next four and a half years. The
final decision of the Appeal Court is about to fall next
Friday.
On the ground, we were heading to the outskirts of Skopje in
Macedonia in a small car trying to find our way in this
typical neighborhood where streets and small houses look all
the same that even the local reporters and trade unionists had
trouble finding the way around. After a couple of phone calls,
we have find the way to reach the specific little house with a
terrace facing the road bounded by a wall. We are received by
the local journalist Tomislav Kezarovski who according to the
Macedonian police is apparently regarded as a dangerous
individual.
The thirty-six Macedonian special forces agents had certainly
no trouble finding the same house when they decided to arrest
him a half year ago. The policemen stormed into the streets
early morning, blocked the whole neighborhood, kicked down the
door to the little family that scarely saw the father
journalist being led away with handcuffs. The marks in the
door still sits today as a witness of this dark day. This is
the way the journalist recalls about the experience that
followed the publication five years ago of his investigative
articles revealing that a protected witness had made a false
declaration in a murder case.
The crime of the journalist was to give the first name of this
witness apparently considered as a crime but the prosecutor
also calls for him to release the names of his own sources
because not revealing his sources is also considered as a
crime. He insisted, of course, on the protection of sources.
A variety of international organizations support the
« Kezarovski case » and call the local authorities to put an
end to all prosecutions. Therefore, we are all also highly
concerned about what happens to our colleague Kezarovski
because we are also interested in the reasons that lies behind
the decisions and actions of the Macedonian police and
judiciary authorities.
Tomislav Kezarovski was initially sentenced to 4,5 years of
jail and his case is on the agenda of the Court of Appeal on
24 October. He already spent nearly half a year in a cell of 8
square meters with three other prisoners, a cell with a little
window and dirty toilet. With a trembling voice, he explained
me about his detention conditions before he was able to spend
the last five months at home under house arrest.
On October 24, it will be decided whether he will return to
prison or if he can go out of the court room as a free man.
Either way, his life will never the same. He will need to find
a new job as journalist in Macedonia where the sector has
suffered a serious loss. Since his arrest, his wife has
difficulties finding a job as soon as she informs the
potential employer about her surname Kezarovski.
Tomislav Kezarovski said to me that he only carried out the
work that any journalist would have done, he has done nothing
wrong and he now hopes for justice. He thinks that the
investigative journalism should not suffer because of his
case, but on the contrary should be strengthen. Fear is rising
on his face as the deadline of 24 October is approaching.
I have expressed hope for him and promised that European
Federation of Journalists will spread the messages throughout
Europe. But it is with concern that I went away leaving with
the image of a family jammed in deep trouble because of
investigative journalism.
The suppression of investigative journalism, as this matter is
obviously happening in Macedonia, is a great danger for
democratic development. Therefore, it is essential that
international organizations like the European Union, the
Council of Europe and UNESCO not only have press freedom as
key issue, but also pursues effectively the abuses that are
taking place and put pressure on the authorities to correct
those attacks on press freedom. Right now, we need more than
one finger pointing to Macedonia.
Skopje
Media
Conference
Publishes Conclusions
International Conference in
Skopje (Photo : MK / EFJ)
Journalists unions from across the former Soviet Union and
South East Europe gathered to debate the status of journalism,
union organising and violations and safety of journalists
rights across the region.
The meeting was the third joint IFJ / EFJ meeting in the
region to build greater collaboration and support for
journalists unions across Europe. Discussions focused on
labour rights, new forms of organising and recruitment, union
campaigning, legal defense and new digital tools.
The meeting started by recalling the many hundreds of
journalists that have suffered violence and persecution for
their work since the 2013 conference in Kiev and held a minute
silence for the journalists that have lost their lives in the
conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
A solidarity evening attended by up to 100 journalists, was
held in support of Tomislav Kezarovski, Macedonian journalist
under house arrest since 2013. Earlier in the day a small
delegation visited Kezarovski to discuss how we can support
him in his appeal due 24 October.
The conference agreed statements on the following:
– Journalists Unions Condemn Workplace Intimidation of union
members
– Journalists
Unions
Back
Macedonian
campaign
to
free
Kezarovski and initiate Urgent media reforms
– Journalists Unions Call for Release of Detained Ukrainian
journalists
•
A final set of Action Points were agreed
The meeting would like to thank the Trade Union of Macedonian
Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) and the Association of
Journalists of Macedonia (AJM), our host affiliates, and the
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and LOTCO for their assistance in
supporting the programme.
EFJ Calls for All Charges
Against Journalist Tomislav
Kezarovski to be Dropped
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has called for
authorities in Macedonia to drop all charges against the
journalist Tomislav Kezarovski – who has now been held under
house arrest for over a year.
In 2013, Kezarovski was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison by a
tribunal in Skopje for writing investigative articles for the
magazine Reporter 92. He is currently under house arrest,
unemployed and living in very difficult conditions.
The EFJ has sent a letter to Andrej Lepavcov, the Ambassador
of the Republic of Macedonia to the European Union, calling
for Macedonian authorities to bring an end to all the “absurd”
judicial prosecutions against Kezarovski, stating that he is
being unfairly punished for revealing the identity of a police
source and protecting his journalist sources.
Read the EFJ letter in full HERE
The EFJ has also developed a short video showing international
solidarity with our colleague Tomislav Kezarovski which you
can watch below:
Macedonia
ASSOCIATION OF JOURNALISTS OF MACEDONIA
Address
Gradski Zid, blok 13
1000 Skopje
Macedonia
President
Naser Selmani-Vest
Phone
+389 (0)2 3298 139
Email
contact(at)znm.org(dot)mk
Contact Person
Website
Dragan Sekulovski
dsekulovski(at)znm.org(dot)mk
http://www.znm.org.mk
TRADE UNION OF MACEDONIAN JOURNALISTS
AND MEDIA WORKERS (SSNM)
Blvd. M.H.Jasmin 22/17
Address
1000 Skopje
Macedonia
Staff
Tamara Chausidis (President)
Dragan Antonovski (Vice President)
Phone
+3892671201
Email
ssnm(at)live(dot)com
Contact Person
Tamara Causidis
tamaramak(at)yahoo(dot)com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L84clZEPfs4