The Union of Albanian Journalists has reacted after life threats against the journalist News24 Osman Staff.

The reaction emphasizes that the case must be resolved urgently and the perpetrators must face the law.

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The Albanian Journalists' Union expresses its reaction after the denunciation of journalist and activist Osman Stafa for threats to his personal address on the social network Facebook.
In the official report filed with the Cybercrime Investigations Directorate of the State Police, the journalist specified the actual threatening content.
The reporter Stafa himself states that this threat is allegedly related to a film material he made and published during a protest, of which he is a regular participant as a journalist and activist. In this alleged material, he documented the actions of several civilians during the detention and arrest of a protester.
UGSH finds that journalist Stafa has had such claims and episodes of confrontations with aggressive groups or individuals before.
The latest case of the threatening message must be urgently investigated and those responsible must face the law. The investigative bodies dealing with such threats must act in a timely and professional manner.
The Albanian Journalists' Union notes that during this period of over three months of protests held in Tirana, various individuals and party and political fans often verbally confront journalists, and in the virtual space, a terrible ethical pollution is observed with stigmatization and attacks against active journalists.
At the same time, UGSH finds it appropriate to appeal to colleagues and the media that this is a period of political crisis, with problems accumulated by the administration and political parties, with a harsh climate of campaigns and social movements. As such, in such cases, our codes of ethics suggest that the journalist's mission must respect the status and deontological principles. We note in many cases, when the activism, at times even political, of individuals within our professional community, violates impartiality, balance and the classical principles of journalism.
Perseverance, strength and courage in reporting, investigation and unhindered pursuit of truths related to corruption, misgovernment, criminality and the world of financial embezzlement are the characteristics of professional journalists.