The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK) has raised alarm over a serious threat made against the editorial staff of the news portal Insajderi, urging authorities to act swiftly and decisively to protect press freedom and ensure journalists’ safety.
According to Insajderi, an unidentified man entered the newsroom over the weekend and demanded the removal of an eight-year-old video related to Blerim Heta, a Kosovo native who carried out a suicide bombing in Iraq in 2014, killing over 50 civilians.
The man reportedly claimed that Heta is „alive“ and issued a chilling warning to the journalists:
„Delete the video, or it won’t end well for you.“ Before leaving, he added a threatening message: „Greetings from Blerim Heta.“
The police have since identified the suspect as A. I., a relative of Heta. He was questioned but released following a decision by the on-duty prosecutor at the Basic Prosecutor’s Office in Pristina.
According to Insajderi, Blerim Heta left Kosovo in 2013 and the following year carried out a suicide bombing in Baghdad, which was celebrated as a „martyrdom operation“ by jihadist forums at the time. Heta’s family later testified that he had fallen under the influence of religious extremists, including a local imam.
The AGK condemned the incident as a “serious and dangerous threat to the lives of journalists,” calling on security and judicial institutions to treat the case with urgency and bring the perpetrator to justice.
The association also urged the Kosovo Police to provide adequate protection for the Insajderi team, stating that their safety is now in jeopardy.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
