The Chairman of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, held a press conference today from the Blue Headquarters, where he expressed his and the DP's solidarity with the journalists and employees of Focus Media Group, owner of News24 television.
Berisha accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of "bandit aggression" against free speech, emphasizing that the interruption of the signal and the disconnection of television transmission cables over the last three days were carried out without any legal basis.
According to him, News24 is the third television station to become "Rama's victim", after two other media outlets that have suffered similar pressure.
"News24 and Focus Media Group were among the few Albanian media outlets that maintained independence in news, debates and investigations. This team shocked Edi Rama with its shows, which is why it was hit," Berisha said, adding that the lease contracts for the building are valid until 2033 and payments have been made regularly. He described the situation as "serious attacks on free speech" and demanded the immediate restoration of the group's media outlets' broadcasting and activities.
At the same conference, Berisha announced that the Democratic Party would establish a parliamentary investigative commission to shed light on what it called the "Rama-McGonigal criminal activity" in Albania, with investigations that would also extend to Kosovo.
"The opposition will bring evidence and facts to unmask the defense that Altin Troplini has made to McGonagall, one of the main protagonists in the great fraud of the Russian dossier that also involved President Donald Trump in his first term," Berisha said.
According to him, the commission will aim to identify all connections and responsibilities in this scandal, focusing on the involvement of political and institutional actors in Albania and the region.
