Albania: Media reporting endangers human rights organisation Vatra

The Top Channel Television programme Fiks Fare, broadcast on 25 and 26 January 2010, has endangered the safety of the staff of human rights organisation Vatra, as well as that of the women it supports, by revealing the location of Vatra's shelter for women victims of domestic violence and the names of Vatra staff.

Further Information

The TV report, considered incorrect and unfair by civil society organisations, focused on a high-profile case of domestic violence that Vatra has been involved in and allegedly came as a result of pressure by the influential husband of the victim, perpetrator of the violence.

According to Vatra, the TV programme Fiks Fare sided with the perpetrator and reported in an unfair and factually incorrect manner on cases of violence against women and the organisations providing them with support. In relation to the specific case of domestic violence, Fiks Fare publicly revealed the location of the shelter where the victim was located as well as the names of some of the shelter's staff.

As a result, Vatra was obliged to transfer the victim to another location, as they could no longer ensure her safety. Moreover, three members of the shelter's staff, including its legal adviser who was also serving as a defence lawyer in the victim's divorce case, resigned because of threats and for fear that they could be directly targeted.

On 27 January 2010, following the Fiks Fare programme, several human rights groups, including Vatra, organised a press conference attended by a number of national media outlets including Top Channel Television. It is reported that Top Channel Television did not report on the press conference and civil society's reaction to Fiks Fare but instead broadcast again the same video report on the victim of domestic violence.

Vatra reported that the perpetrator of the violence has over the last four years threatened and intimidated several women’s rights defenders who provided assistance to his wife.