DIELLI DENOUNCES THE FREEDOM OF PRESS VIOLATIONS IN ALBANIA

Dielli is the newspaper that shares its fate and history with the Albanian National Revival movement. Throughout its existence, Dielli has heralded crucial historic events of the nation beginning with the Independence of Albania. From the start of the 20th century the Albanian patriots of America have been at the frontlines of arousing the national consciousness of their compatriots through the actions and efforts of Vatra and Vatrans, as reflected in the pages of Dielli. During the time of communist Albania, Dielli defended the civil and human rights including the right to information. At the present time, Dielli acknowledges that the country’s freedom of information is under attack. The ongoing threats and acts of censoring free media directed by the political elite led by Prime Minister Edi Rama, are cause for Dielli’s denouncement of the pro-government institutions of Albania for undermining the independent media. Dielli fiercely believes in the freedom of expression as the foundation of the democratic state that aims to join the larger family of European democracies.
The 2019 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters without Borders ranked Albania down by 7 places compared to last year’s world ranking. The organization is sounding the alarm bells concerned with Albania’s media environment and the targeting of journalists by the governing officials. The aggressive rhetoric towards the media coupled with physical assaults of the reporters and censoring acts by the government seriously undermine Albania’s democracy and lengthen the transition period nearing its third decade. The violations of the freedom of expression and attacks on the independent media are explicit indications of a totalitarian regime and traces of an authoritarian mentality garnished with executive powers to exert control over democracy.
The Prime Minister’s response to the publishing of the latest report was that there are no truths in the reports about the independent media decline and restrictions on the freedom of speech. His denials are classic expressions of the authoritarian official who continues to berate the media with insults like “trash can”.
Additionally Dielli appeals to the media outlets in Albania to rise up to its as role as the fourth government and safeguard its independence in order to resist turning into an anti-democratic tool of politics.
Dielli acknowledges the dangerous trend of Tirana’s newspapers and portals of subjecting the innocent victims of the communist system to insults by their abusers. The case of the targeting Visar Zhiti by his prison torturer, Edmond Caja, sets a very dangerous precedent. The negative campaign towards Visar Zhiti indicates a weak democracy. Not only have the notorious abusers of communism not answered for their crimes, but, to add to the insult, they are allowed to abuse once again the dissidents of tyranny.
Visar Zhiti has elevated to new levels the democratic Albanian literature in the genre of post-imprisonment while serving as a role model of resistance against communist dictatorship. As a matter of morality, our society should stand by his side and speak up for justice.
Hanging by the threads of the spider-web like autocratic rule of Edi Rama, Albania’s democracy has not been able to counteract a governmental launched war against the journalists. The outcome is a serious decline of freedom of expression. The absolute control by the Prime Minister Edi Rama and the brazen attacks against the media have contributed to undermining democracy, imposing a form of tyranny and falling back in the dark times of information.
The censoring of the free media and attacks on the journalists in Albania are legitimate concerns for which Dielli will alert the government institutions in America and around the world.