The State Police of Albania has surrounded the offices of News 24 television in Tirana, demanding the evacuation of the premises and the removal of the channel’s journalists.
On Saturday, around 7:00 AM, a dozen police officers appeared at the premises of News 24, located in the former Auto-Tractor Factory in the Shkozë neighborhood of Tirana, requesting that journalists leave and the building be vacated.
According to Panorama newspaper, which belongs to the same media group, the police are blocking journalists from entering the building and are demanding that the offices currently housing News 24, BalkanWeb, Panorama, and Gazeta Shqiptare be cleared to hand over control to the state-owned company “KAYO.” Panorama also reports that electricity to the TV station has been cut.
At 7:36 AM, News 24’s signal was interrupted.
KAYO is a state-owned arms production and trading company founded in 2024. On March 12, 2025, the government approved a decision transferring ownership of the former Auto-Tractor Factory to KAYO. News 24 is a long-term tenant of the facility.
In a statement published on Facebook, the Association of Albanian Journalists (AGSH) expressed serious concern over the State Police’s actions.
“This alarming act constitutes a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of democracy and freedom of expression, guaranteed by the Constitution of Albania and international human rights instruments,” AGSH wrote.
“The police intervention, which directly obstructs the work of journalists, is unacceptable and represents open pressure on a free media,” the organization emphasized.
AGSH called on state institutions to halt the operation and ensure that News 24 journalists have access to their workplaces, while respecting democratic standards for media freedom.
When asked by BIRN, the State Police spokesperson declined to comment on the operation to clear News 24’s premises, reported by reportel.al.
