The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), today condemned physical threats made against two Kosovo journalists on May 16 in the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica, in northern Kosovo.

Protesters threatened to attack journalists Musa Mustafa of the Pristina-based daily Koha Ditore and Alidin Damati of the Kosova press agency, but police managed to avert the imminent aggression. According to SEEMO sources, the journalists were obliged to flee and police intervened at the last minute.  However, the journalists accused police and international forces (KFOR) stationed in Kosovo of having taken a lenient attitude when the threats began.

SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic said: “I urge the authorities to investigate this case of intimidation of journalists. Journalists should be allowed to do their work freely and I call on both the police authorities and KFOR to protect journalists and to enable them to do their work.”