January 19, 2012
518 Lexime
LETTER to:
IFJ –International Federation of Journalist
EFJ – European Federation of Journalists
RSF – Reporters Without Borders
APJK – Association of Professional Journalists of Kosovo
CPJ – Committee to Protect Journalists
SEEMO – South East Europe Media Organization
IPI – International Press Institute
UJK – Union of Journalists of Kosovo
Demotix
The Guardian
Polaris Images
ZUMA Press
SIPA Press
Dear colleagues, friends and editors.
Because of my health statement problems that are to be added continuously, with a constant increasing of a strange sound and ache on my head, after being physically assaulted by Kosovo Riot Police force, on Saturday, January 14, 2012, when I was covering the socio-political developments of anti-Serbia protests, in southeastern Kosovo-Serbia border point Dheu i Bardhe.
I am forced to suspend the time of maintaining my blog ‘The IndependenT NewsweeK’ with news stories, from the country in which I am living for the moment, which is Kosovo.
I hope to recover as quickly as possible and re-turn to continue to write and update my blog, fan page and get back to life and keep tweeting for the true.
As it is already known, Kosovo Police exercised brutal crackdown against me, on Saturday, January 14, 2012, while I was covering the clashes between demonstrators and Kosovo police near Dheu i Bardhe, southeastern Kosovo-Serbia border crossing, when I was struck by a policemen. I lost the consciousness and also was not hospitalized. ‘KLAN Kosovo TV’ filmed the attack.
The 14th, January 2012 protests were organized by the Vetevendosje, a Kosovo oppositional political subject, whose members gathered in order to impede the free flow of goods between Kosovo and Serbia at the Merdare (northeastern) and Dheu i Bardhe (southeastern) border crossings.
Vetevendsoje opposes contact with Serbia, since it is not recognizing Kosovo’s proclaimed Independence in Feb 2008.
The riot police prevented the demonstrators from reaching border crossings. There were clashes, and injuries on both sides. When I saw a citizen on the ground being beaten by policemen. I was about to take a photo when I was targeted and assaulted. I was carrying filming equipment when the police attacked me. It was more then clear that I was a journalist as well as showing my ‘PRESS PASS’ all the time.
1 CALL FOR A HELP!
I want to initiate a lawsuit against the Kosovo police organization, since this is not the only case that police is assaulting me. I have been attacked several times during last year’s period of time.
But, to realize this goal, I need your help too.
I need to help me with a lawyer who will defend my legal right.
Government of the country, rather than stated and begin to distance and start with the investigations in my case, they have chosen to remain silent, while trying to ‘shut the mouth’ of Kosovo media, with the idea that the Kosovo’s Government is proposing to enforce the law “FREE VAT” for the media organizations in Kosovo.
Kosovo’s foreign embassies have encouraged the governments anti-citizen brutal crackdown, none of them didn’t say a single word for press freedom being under serious threat, instead it is seems clearly that foreigners, are encouraging the countries government to put pressure as much as possible on media. This is on developing, a research is very necessary.
If I and we all will tolerate this situation, then the police organization as well as politics, will be encouraged to attack reporters, other colleagues, and why not even me again as they did many times; time-to-time, and I believe that we might be so “lucky” to experience the next even worse round tragedy, when we can probably hear that any of our colleagues is executed (murdered, killed) by the Police of State, of course with an “under-table” order of the state/politics, as we learned to hear years ago right after the war in Kosovo 1999 and recently many cases of serious life threats to those who investigates politicians and political developments in Kosovo.
Thank you for understanding, hope for support and concrete step towards our right for press freedom.
-Yours, Vedat Xhymshiti
STATEMENTS/REACTIONS
AGPK & UGKhttp://vedatxhymshiti.blogspot.com/2012/01/agpk-and-ugk-condemn-police-violence.html
IFJ/EFJ Backs Call for Probe into Assault against Photographer in Kosovo
http://europe.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-efj-backs-call-for-probe-into-assault-against-photographer-in-kosovo
SEEMO
South East European Media Organization
http://www.seemo.org/activities/pressfreedom/12/press1202.html
IPI
International Press Institutte
http://www.freemedia.at/home/singleview/article/kosovo-police-allegedly-beat-reporter.html
VOA
http://www.voanews.com/albanian/news/Organizata-gazetare-Kosove-reagojne-dhune-fotoreporter-137381468.html
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSaI_GERudg?fs=1]
