The Kosovo media are still subjected to political and economic pressure, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo Jean - Claude Schlumberger said on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on Sunday.

The Kosovo media are still subjected to political and economic pressure, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo Jean - Claude Schlumberger said on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on Sunday. “Despite some progress in addressing cases involving attacks against journalists, the media continue to be subjected to political and economic pressure, while journalists continue to be intimidated and threatened, which further undermines the freedom of expression and free media in Kosovo,” Schlumberger said in a release. Stressing that unfettered and professional media are key for democratic development of Kosovo, Schlumberger urged the Kosovo institutions to guarantee the freedom of expression and freedom of the media, and to provide for a safer working environment for journalists to inform the public timely and objectively, the release states. The number of “attacks, threats and smear campaigns against journalists” in Kosovo remains high, said Schlumberger, adding that 24 such cases were reported in 2014, and up to ten until April 2015. “I strongly condemn these attacks and threats against journalists, as well as any type of influence on independent media,” said Schlumberger.