OSCE Protests Worsening Media Freedom in Macedonia

Macedonian special police forces escort arrested media tycoon Velija Ramkovski (C) and 14 employees of his private A1 television channel, from the police station to take them to court in Skopje, December 2010. EPA/BGNES

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has sent a letter of concern about the freedom of media in Macedonia in a letter sent to Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Poposki.

"In spite of the repeated calls on the part of OSCE to the Macedonian government to improve the condition of media and to abide by the commitment on their freedom the condition is actually deteriorating," reads the official document.

The letter in particular points out the firing without notice of an Alsat-M TV channel journalist who was a member of an independent journalist trade union, empty positions in the managing board of Macedonian State TV and Radio.

It also recalls the withdrawal of license from private TV channel A1, as well as the closing down of three newspapers for allegedly failing to pay their taxes.

In mid-July, the Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), had also expressed concern over the latest media developments in Macedonia.

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