Department of Internal Control, Criminal Investigation and Professional Standards at the Ministry of Interior (MIA) and the Disciplinary Commission of Ministry of Justice will investigate the journalist's call Sonja Kolevska Delevska from the portal Sdk.mk. for a conversation at a police station.

The invitation for an official conversation at the police station "Centar" in Skopje was delivered to her by armed police officers at her home address, and was related to the published text. give up the money owed to her ", published on April 27 this year. The complaint against the journalist was from an unnamed person. The complainant, who according to the Ministry of Interior is from the Ministry of Justice, insisted that Delevska be called to the police.

MoI "had to act"

According to the Ministry of Interior, the police station accepted to act upon the complaint that "they had to act on every report from a citizen", Although the complainant was told that what she was asking from the police was a civil proceeding.

In the journalistic article, the identity of the official from the Ministry of Justice is not indicated. According to the charges against Delevska, the mysterious civil servant felt anxious about her health and reputation after the published text. "Free Press" requested, but did not receive a comment from the Ministry of Justice on the case.

The Ministry of Interior announced that the Department for Internal Control, Criminal Investigations and Professional Standards is examining the actions of the police officers regarding the complaint of one person against the journalist Sonja Kolevska Delevska.

"We emphasize that there is no submission against the journalist by the Ministry of Interior, nor will there be such a submission. In recent years, the Ministry of Interior has been building partnerships with journalists and journalists' associations and we are completely committed to the continuous improvement of cooperation, which is constantly emphasized by journalists and relevant organizations. "We fully support the freedom of speech and such a practice will continue in the future," said the Ministry of Interior.

Ministry of Justice announced that it was formed disciplinary commission which will fully investigate the case regarding the summoning to the police station of the journalist Sonja Kolevska Delevska for a published text.

"The Ministry of Justice will reconsider the procedure of the head and will take over everything that is within the competencies and competencies, and will speak as soon as possible. "The Ministry of Justice will do everything to protect the freedom of expression and speech, which are inalienable rights in any democratic society," the Ministry of Justice said.

AJM: Such procedureand lead to censorship 

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) condemns the action of officials from the Ministry of Interior against their colleague Sonja Kolevska-Delevska, who was summoned for an official interview at the Centar police station. AJM warns that calling journalists and media workers for an official interview with the police due to a published text leads to censorship and self-censorship of journalists.

- The case with the summoning of the journalist Delevska to the Ministry of Interior for an official conversation in the police station Centar due to a published text, goes in a relationship that we constantly talk about, and that is the two key elements - us to have healthy journalism, within a democratic society. as we declare - one aspect is socio-economic security, the second would be the absence of censorship and self-censorship. The case with my colleague Delevska goes to the fact that we have another unwanted attempt to intimidate and endanger the work - Pavle Belovski told "Utrinski briefing", President of the Independent Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM).

Belovski does not want to believe that we have a police state again.

- I do not want to believe that we have mechanisms that at one time the authorities were calculating with our profession. There are big flaws and we can not deviate from that. The fragility of the Ministry of Interior has been shown again - says Belovski.

According to Mladen Chadikovski, President of AJM, if this is an incident, the Ministry of Interior will be able to realistically and quickly see the mistake and take sanctions for the one who made the mistake.

- The alarm should be sounded, we should be even more vigilant in monitoring these things and the way the institutions practice the rule of law. This was not to happen. Now we expect a sanction - says Chadikovski for "Morning Briefing".

He added that the report from the manager against the journalist Delevska can be treated as a glaring example of false charges against a citizen and AJM and offered legal assistance to a colleague to process this case.

- This is an attempt to silence and intimidate journalists - added Belovski.

И Helsinki Committee for Human Rights strongly condemned the pressure on journalist Delevska.

"Calling a journalist for an interview at a police station by armed police officers, and for an issue that is not a crime, but is being processed in civil proceedings for possible determination of civil liability for insult and defamation, violates the constitutional principles that guarantee free access to information." , freedom to receive and impart information. "It is problematic that the police succumbed to the applicant's request," the Helsinki Committee said.

VIDEO | AJM and SSNM: The report by the manager against the journalist Delevska is a false report and an attempt to silence and intimidate