Skopje, 2 November 2022 (MIA) – The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) and the Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) on the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, demanded that political parties immediately adopt the Criminal Code amendments providing greater protection of journalists and media workers. Otherwise, they said they will change their format of action and move to a boycott after December 31. “We have been waiting for almost a year and a half for the MPs in Parliament to show up and vote for the amendments of the Criminal Code instead of engaging in their endless political games. We demand that the amendments are immediately placed on the agenda and adopted, otherwise we will conclude that the freedom of journalists and media workers is not a priority of this Parliament,” AJM President Mladen Chadikovski told a press conference Wednesday. He added that the adoption of these amendments is of public interest because the safety of journalists is still fragile. “In 2020 there were 14 attacks on journalists, eight of which were on women journalists, only two of them were solved with a court verdict. In 2021 out of five attacks, three were on women journalists, in 2022 we have had six attacks on journalists and media workers. This is only the number of reported cases, some of our colleagues do not report the attacks, which carries the risk of censorship and self-censorship,” said Chadikovski, adding that unlike the politicians who received justice for the April 27 case, journalists are still disadvantaged. SSNM President, Pavle Belovski, said that Wednesday marks five years since the beginning of the initiative to amend the Criminal Code in order to provide greater protection to journalists and media workers. “Today also marks 17 months since the government, i.e., the Ministry of Justice forwarded these amendments to Parliament for adoption – there are still no results. We are still counting and reporting the attacks, regardless of their shape and form, and it is all ultimately fruitless, which worries us the most. The impunity continues. That is why, once again, for the countless time, we remind you of your election promises that the legal amendments concerning attacks on journalists will be urgently implemented,” said Belovski and urged MPs to do everything that is part of the procedure and adopt the Criminal Code amendments. On the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, Beloveski informed that SSNM and AJM will join the global initiative of the International Federation of Journalists and called on the Macedonian Government to support the adoption of the International UN Convention on the Safety and Independence of Journalists and Other Media Professionals. “This is the second event marked in this format, and if our messages are not heard we will have to change our format and we have no choice but to go out after New Year’s and remain in front of Parliament until the amendments are adopted,” underlined the SSNM President. Apart from the amendments, Chadikovski stated that one more draft law on journalist’s rights and freedoms is waiting to be adopted – the Law on Civil Liability of Defamation and Insult, which, according to the adopted text of the draft law, would reduce the defamation and insult fines for journalists by five times the previous amounts. ad/nn/