Complaints Council

Albanian Parliament Urged to Reject Online Media Regulation

Ulsi Manja (left) and Klotilda Bushka (right) at the parliamentary law committee hearing on Friday. Photo: Gjergj Erebara/BIRN

"Civil society organisations call upon the government to withdraw the proposed laws. If the government refuses to do so, we also call upon the parliament of Albania to reject these laws at once," the statement said.

Albania Rights Groups Condemn 'Undemocratic' Media Bills

A number of organizations in Albania dedicated to the protection of human rights, media freedom, freedom of information and journalists associations called on Prime Minister Edi Rama on Friday to withdraw two proposed bills that would empower the government to regulate online media outlets, under the threat of penalties and closure.

Albania PM Accused of Planning Online Media Censorship

The office of Albania's Prime Minister, Edi Rama, has proposed changes in two laws foreseeing the registration of online media and the policing of news content for a variety of reasons, including "biased" news, news that "damages public morale" and "publications that can incite penal offences".