Aleksandër Çipa, head of the Union of Albanian Journalists, has spoken out against the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO), accusing the court of refusing to reconsider its new regulation governing media access to court proceedings.
“We are determined to reverse this. We are dealing with a regulation, not a law, and a regulation can be reconsidered when it contains such shortcomings,” Çipa said in an interview with Report TV.
He called on GJKKO President Erion Bani to review the regulation and take into consideration proposals put forward by the media community.
According to Çipa, the regulation is not only restrictive and censorial, but also conflicts with Albania’s Constitution and existing legislation, potentially setting a dangerous precedent for the public’s right to information. He also warned that journalists’ organizations could take the matter to international bodies.
“The regulation adopted by GJKKO is not only censorial; it also runs contrary to the Constitution of the Republic of Albania. It will be challenged not only by our professional community, but also by other civic interest groups and those concerned with the rule of law. This regulation sets a dangerous precedent.
“Although we have encountered—and continue to encounter—a lack of responsiveness from this court, our efforts and our response will be stepped up. We will seek the intervention of international journalists’ networks and organizations over this unlawful precedent. We will insist on an immediate response from the highest levels of the justice system,” Çipa told Report TV.
Journalists Challenge New Restrictions
Çipa criticized several provisions of the regulation, including restrictions on the use of mobile phones and recording devices inside the courtroom, a ban on cameras, the rotation of journalists when courtrooms do not have enough seats, and a requirement for journalists to register 24 hours in advance in order to attend a hearing.
“There is no justification for imposing criteria that allow professional discretion to be used to deny access. There is procedural and legal nonsense here. The regulation says that hearings are open to the public, while at the same time imposing restrictions on the presence of journalists and camera operators.
“And requiring registration 24 hours in advance is nothing more than an unnecessary bureaucratic obstacle designed to restrict access.
“Rotation of seats? Hypocrisy. The people entitled to attend are already clearly identified—family members of the parties and defense lawyers—while the available space is always limited. Establishing a precedent for rotating seats is simply another form of censorship,” Çipa said.
The head of the Union of Albanian Journalists argued that the restrictions prevent the public from obtaining a complete picture of what takes place inside the Special Court.
“I see this as an attempt to preserve secrecy, to avoid daily scrutiny of every proceeding, and to deprive the public of the possibility of having a real picture—through both sound and images—of what happens inside the courtroom.
“The regulation conflicts with the Constitution and with the legislation currently in force in Albania,” he stressed.
Despite concerns raised by both domestic and international organizations over GJKKO’s new regulation, it entered into force today without any amendments or changes in response to the media community’s proposals—despite calls for measures that would ensure a free and professional working environment for journalists.