Albania Govt Ignores Outcry Against Online Media Laws

Albanian Parliamentary Commission of Laws, on November 22, 2019. Photo: Gjergj Erebara/BIRN

On Thursday, Mark Marku, Dean of the Department of Journalism and Communications in the University of Tirana, told MPs debating the laws in the parliament's Commission on Media and Education that "nobody in his right mind could possibly support such laws".

Several MPs then protested, some making slurs. But Marku refused to apologise. Instead, he summarised the situation as such: "Not a single organisation supports this law. The only interested party here is the Prime Minister [Edi Rama] and you are doing this law for him. You, as representative of the people, are inept to face him … who would prefer to stop even the dogs from barking."

His protest echoed that of 15 Albanian rights organisations, including BIRN Albania, and seven international bodies, including the European Federation of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists.

They have issued several statements in the last four days and have also appeared before several hearings in the Parliamentary Commissions, trying to impress on MPs the need to keep online media free from state regulation. Prime Minister Rama has, however, announced plans to have the laws fully approved by December 19.

Deirdre Kevin, an expert for the Council of Europe, told parliamentarians at a hearing on November 25 that "the core of the aim of this law is problematic and is not compactable with the standards of freedom of expression of the Council of Europe". She advised: "Take a step back and start the process from scratch."

Monika Bylaite, deputy chief of the EU Delegation in Tirana, emphasised that the approach of the EU "is based on self-regulation", while Irina Radu, from the OSCE, underlined...