Kocevski Says There’s Intensive Action over Charge Filed by Simonovska

At an event marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, held on Monday, Chief Public Prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski directly addressed Sloboden Pecat journalist Miroslava Simonovska regarding the criminal charge filed by her for unauthorised recording by an official person, in the case concerning the secretly recorded video, shared with several media by Skopje Higher Prosecutor’s Office Chief Mustafa Hajrullahi, saying there was intensive work on it.

“I condemn every act of illegally following and recording journalists. I publicly condemn also every form of pressure and threats aiming to silence journalists and influence their work,” he stated.

Also, Kocevski said it was not true that his Office’s report on the control over the Hajrullahi-headed institution had been drawn up. That means that Simonovska didn’t receive the material.

This past weekend, the journalist, who also holds US citizenship, received threats on social media. A person created a fake profile using her first and last name and sent her a message reading: “We’re following you, we’re taking pictures of you”.

The threat has been reported to the Interior Ministry. The event marking International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists was organised by the Association of Journalists, whose President, Mladen Cadikovski, discussed the Simonovska case, risks related to SLAPPs, and unsolved processes related to journalists in the matter of the 27 April 2017 storming of Parliament.

Among the participants was also Interior Minister Pance Toskovski, who stressed that journalists were guardians of democracy.