Berlin December 5, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Kosovo authorities to ensure the safety of journalist Berat Buzhala, founder of the online media outlet Nacionale, following a December 2 death threat he received via Facebook messenger threatening his safety and his colleagues’.
“We welcome the Kosovo authorities’ swift investigation into a death threat made against journalist Berat Buzhala and urge them to fully hold the perpetrators to account,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “Authorities should ensure all journalists in Kosovo can do their jobs without fear of reprisal.”
Buzhala published a screenshot of the Facebook message, which threatened to kill him and “some of your kind.” The Facebook account associated with the threat has since been deactivated.
Buzhala told CPJ he believes the death threat is a consequence of ruling party, government officials publicly accusing journalists of Nacionale of being pro-Serbian. Buzhala said the threat follows earlier incidents targeting Nacionale’s journalists with smears, verbal threats online, cyberattacks, and physical attacks.
Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia refuses to recognize Kosovo as a country.
The Association of Journalists of Kosovo, an independent trade group, has expressed alarm over the increasingly hostile rhetoric against journalists, often originating from government officials and ruling party members.
Buzhala told CPJ that Kosovo police have launched an investigation, but he has no updates and doubts its effectiveness, as he believes government officials are the ones fueling hostility toward journalists.
CPJ emailed questions to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which oversees the police, but received no reply.