RSF condemns grenade attack on Kosovo public broadcaster

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns a grenade attack on Kosovo’s state-owned radio and TV broadcaster RTK in Pristina yesterday and calls on the authorities to bring those responsible to justice.

Unidentified individuals threw the grenade into the courtyard of RTK headquarters last night when several employees were still present. The explosion damaged its antennae but caused no injuries.

Police said the attack appeared to have been the work of Kosovar activists opposed to Kosovo’s cession of 80 square kilometres of territory to Montenegro as part of a plan to redraw the border between the two countries.

The subject of great tension between Kosovo and Montenegro since the autumn of 2015, the proposal is due to be submitted to a vote by Kosovo’s parliament on 1 September.

“We firmly condemn this attack on a public broadcaster that guarantees freedom of expression and we call on Kosovo’s authorities to ensure that those responsible for this act of intimidation are brought to justice,” said Pauline Adès-Mével, the head of RSF’s Europe-Balkans desk.

Kosovo is ranked 90th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2016 World Press Freedom Index.