Message from our editorial offices surrounded by police

Dear friends,

I thank you for your moral support. Being not able to replay to all, because must be working, I’d like to let you know that the police surrounded our papers offices and tried to stop the journalist entering in. the journalists that were in were not let to get out, the ones out were let not to get in.

About 7 pm I had to enter by force in our offices. The photograph speaks for itself. After that I called the director of police and he explained that was ordered by Minister of Interior to stop us entering our offices. The police does not give official explanations.

On 16 of December, Ministry of Economy cancelled unilaterally, without notice, a 20 year investments contract that we have for this premises. We filed a lawsuit, at the Tirana Court, against unilateral cancelling of the contract and the Court of Tirana approved our case. On 6 of January, Tirana Court decided that Ministry of Economy must cancel all actions against our interests as investors on this premises.

The unexpected police siege and Prime Minister’s arrogance to make us silent, as it seems, do not know any limits. In these conditions, we are today surrounded by police, but we will get “TemA” paper done anyway. Tomorrow we will not be able to enter our offices, the police made it clear yesterday.

I have invited all my colleagues for a protest today at 12 am, in front of our closed door by police, but I have hardly any hope that Prime Minister will withdraw his decision.

Our attorney contacted yesterday Minister of Economy, Genc Ruli, and he did not take any responsibility as Court of Tirana decision of cancellation is concerned.

In this situation, we will file a lawsuit against the police for not respecting the judicial decision of Tirana Court and will continue to ask be permitted to enter our offices. We will not remove anything from our investment at our editorial offices, until judicial process is finished. We hope that rule of law will act and Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, will understand that blind hate against free press is a battle that he can not win.