SCiDEV highlighted concerns raised by European media freedom organisations over deteriorating media freedom and civic space in Albania during the Flamingo Revolution. Journalists have faced obstruction, attacks and police interference, while crowd-control measures and protest-related criminal procedures have raised concerns over proportionality, transparency and due process. Notably, 15 of the 27 threats and attacks recorded by the SafeJournalists Network in 2026 occurred in June and July. Journalists, activists, CSOs and environmental defenders have also been personally targeted and portrayed as paid, politically controlled or directed by foreign interests, fueling harassment and making public criticism and peaceful participation increasingly risky. The organisations called for independent investigations into violence, threats, obstruction, detention and alleged disproportionate force, and urged authorities to stop delegitimising civic actors. They also called on EU and international institutions to monitor these cumulative pressures and reflect them in assessments of Albania’s rule of law, fundamental rights and EU accession progress. Read more here.
Source: SCiDEV