Tomislav Kezarovski - European Federation of Journalists

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)
Macédoine:
Tomislav
Kezarovski a été emprisonné
Mise à jour (16/11/2015): le journaliste macédonien Tomislav
Kezarovski a été emprisonné, ce vendredi soir.
La Fédération européenne des journalistes (FEJ) a exprimé
aujourd’hui (15/01/2015) sa profonde préoccupation après la
condamnation du journaliste macédonien Tomislav Kezarovski à
deux ans de prison par la Cour d’appel de Skopje.
Kezarovksi, un journaliste d’investigation qui a travaillé
pour le quotidien Nova Makedonija, a été placé en détention
puis en résidence surveillée depuis le 28 mai 2013 pour un
article qu’il a écrit en 2008 pour le magazine Reporter 92
dans lequel il aurait révélé l’identité d’un témoin protégé
dans une affaire d’assassinat.
La Cour d’appel a revu à la baisse la condamnation du Tribunal
de Première Instance faisant passer la peine de prison de 4,5
ans à 2 ans d’emprisonnement. Kezarovski était à ce jour
assigné à résidence surveillée en attendant le résultat de la
procédure juridiciaire. Aujourd’hui, il est censé retourner en
prison pendant plusieurs mois étant donné qu’il a déjà été
détenu depuis 19 mois.
La FEJ, ainsi que ses membres en Macédoine (FYROM),
l’Association des journalistes de Macédoine (AJM) et le
Syndicat des journalistes macédoniens et travailleurs des
médias (SSNM), appelle les autorités macédoniennes à libérer
immédiatement Tomislav Kezarovski.
« Tomislav Kezarovski a juste fait son travail. Il n’aurait
jamais dû été emprisonné sur base des accusations portées à
son égard. Cette nouvelle décision judiciaire est une
véritable honte pour le pays « , a déclaré le président de la
FEJ, Mogens Blicher Bjerregård. « Le verdict excessif
d’aujourd’hui envoie un message de censure à d’autres
journalistes dans le pays. Ailleurs en Europe, les
journalistes sont encourager à réaliser des enquêtes
d’investigation sur des questions d’intérêt public, ils ne
sont pas menacés d’emprisonnement. Nous allons signalé ce cas
comme étant une violation des droits des journalistes aux
organisations intergouvernementales traitant de la liberté des
médias « .
Photo: Nova Makedonija.
77
%
of
journalists
in
Macedonia work under constant
risk of being fired
« In Macedonia, only 1 % of journalists consider their jobs to
be absolutely secure while 77 % believe that they are under
constant risk of being fired. Raising the issue and the
consequences of the insecure or precarious work in the media
industry is more than necessary », shows a new survey
published today (24/11/2014) in Skopje by the SSNM
(Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers, an EFJ
affiliate).
IMG_20141124_124149
IMG_20141124_112733
IMG_20141124_111337
The study based on 104 in-depth interviews with local
journalists has been presented by SSNM President Tamara
Chausidis during a conference on « Precarious Work in the
Media Industry » attended by SSNM members, Jasmina Popovic
(Vice-President of the International Federation of
Journalists), Mehmet Koksal (Project Officer of the European
Federation of Journalists), Julia Hoffmann from the German
Network for Reporting on Eastern Europe (n-ost), members of
the Solidarity movement. The conference is financially
supported of the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (Southeast Europe).
3 questions to Tamara Chausidis (SSNM President)
Why is the issue of « precarious work » now relevent for the
media industry in Macedonia ?
The latest legislative changes in the health and pension
insurrance adopted last 26 July by the Macedonian legislators
are putting in place a new mandantory fiscal system of + 35 %
taxes for all workers and this will have an enormous social
impact starting from January especially on honoria or
freelance employees. Given the current situation in the
country with more than two third of Macedonian journalists
declaring that they are working under precarious working
conditions, we are afraid that the new changes will negatively
affect the most vulnerable groups in the media industry. We
are afraid that the new fiscal changes of +35 % will deduced
from the current gross salary amounts because media owners
will refuse to raise the gross salaries of the working forces.
Why do you complain as trade union organization if those taxes
will be used to create social security ?
Because the new taxes are only targetting staff and honoraria
workers and will not applicable to other « protected »
categories like politicians, judges or sportmen. All citizens
in Macedonia are not equal in front of the fiscal
administration, the new system will somehow legalize
precarious work, attack the already fragile media workers and
promote « flexploitation » (flexible exploitation) of the
working forces in the media industry.
What is your goal by organising this kind of conference ?
We want to raise awareness among the journalists and media
workers concerning their working conditions. Our survey shows
that the differing status and salaries between journalists
affect mainly those who are hired as freelancers. Financial
instability for a journalist is a major concern. How can you
do you work professionnaly when you don’t know if you will be
employed the next day ? Macedonian media outlets are also
facing unfair market competition between on the hand the
« protected media » or financially supported media which are
generally friendly to the government and on the other hand the
« oppressed media » opposition, critical or independent news
outlets trying to survive in this hostile environment. More
than half (51,9 %) of the respondents in our survey are
pessimistic when it comes to the benefits of the new legal
changes which oblige the employers to pay benefits for the
freelancers they hire as well. They believe that this measure
would only result in a decrease in the amont of fees and the
number of fixed-term contracts, making potentially 100 % of
the media sector precarious.
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
Staff
1000 Skopje
Macedonia
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