During their coverage of the case concerning the dismissed Krsto Petkov Misirkov Secondary School Head-teacher Maja Lozanovska in Demir Hisar, police officers, on Tuesday, Telma and Sakam Da Kazam crews were IDed by police even though the journalists had their press badges.
Officers, who wrote down all data pieces on the identification documents, as well as even the vehicles’ licence plate numbers, said they were IDing them because they were considered unknown persons at the event. Commenting on the matter, SDSM fiercely criticised the action of officers.
“We know that [Interior Minister Pance] Toskovski is afraid of the truth, of the strong reactions of the public to all scandals he’s creating, but he cannot turn police into an instrument to sow fear and silence. Let Toskovski leave journalists work and report on matters of public interest. Instead of obstructing them, police have the duty to protect them and their right to work without any pressure. Every other conduct is a direct blow to media freedom”, the opposition party said in a press-release.
The Association of Journalists and Independent Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers, too, expressed serious concern, saying it had notified the Interior Ministry and asked for an urgent check of the circumstances and, in the event of it being determined that officers had overstepped authority, accountability.