Albanian civil society group Qëndresa Qytetare and the country’s journalists’ association condemned a police operation on Saturday to evict staff from the offices of News24 television and affiliated media outlets, calling it an attack on press freedom.
Police surrounded the building in Tirana that houses News24, daily Panorama, BalkanWeb and Gazeta Shqiptare, blocking journalists from entering and interrupting the channel’s broadcast signal, according to the outlets.
Authorities have not issued a public statement on the operation. The eviction follows a court ruling ordering the premises to be returned to arms manufacturer KAYO, whose director Ardi Veliu was seen on site. The building, formerly part of a state tractor factory, had been leased by the media group under a contract that expired several years ago.
“This is an act worthy of authoritarian states,” Qëndresa Qytetare said, urging transparency and public mobilisation “in defence of a media that serves the public interest.” The group said the operation was unacceptable while other seized assets linked to organised crime continued to operate unimpeded.
The Albanian Journalists’ Association (AGSH) called the blockade a “direct threat” to press freedom and urged the government to halt the operation immediately. “Preventing journalists from working is open pressure on the free media,” it said, appealing to international organisations to monitor the situation.
Tvklan.al reported that police declined to comment when contacted.