On May 13, the Chittagong Cyber Tribunal, which adjudicates alleged cybercrime offenses in southeast Bangladesh, registered a complaint under the Digital Security Act against Yasmin and her source in relation to the RTV broadcast reporter’s April 30 video investigation exposing alleged crimes by the conversative Islamic organization Rajarbagh Darbar Sharif and one of its leaders, Shakerul Kabir, according to news reports and a person familiar with the case, who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal.

Kabir filed the complaint accusing her of violating three sections of the Digital Security Act, according to CPJ’s review of the document. In her investigation, Yasmin reported that Kabir has been accused of extortion, land grabbing, and violence against women.  

The Digital Security Act, which criminalizes several forms of speech online, has frequently been used to target critical journalists in Bangladesh since its enactment in 2018. In March 2023, Bangladesh authorities arrested a Prothom Alo reporter and opened multiple investigations under the act into the leading newspaper’s leadership and staff, prompting United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk to reiterate his call on authorities to impose an immediate moratorium on the law.

 CPJ and other rights groups also have called for the suspension of the law.

“It is appalling that Bangladeshi journalist Adhara Yasmin has been targeted under the draconian Digital Security Act for her investigative reporting,” said Carlos Martinez de la Serna, CPJ’s program director. “Authorities must immediately drop their investigation, stop using the act against journalists, and ensure Yasmin is not subjected to further retaliation for her work.”

Yasmin found out about the complaint on July 8, in a call from a local police station. The next day, she learned she had been summoned for questioning on July 14 at the police Criminal Investigation Department in Chittagong’s Noakhali sub-district, about 173 kilometers (107 miles) from her home in the capital city Dhaka, according to the person who spoke to CPJ.

Yasmin’s source, who appeared in her video investigation, is named as an accused in the complaint. Rajarbagh Darbar Sharif, led by Pir Dillur Rahman, has previously been accused of filing fabricated criminal complaints to facilitate land grabbing.

CPJ called and messaged Kabir and Muhammad Rafiqul Islam, the investigating officer in the case, but did not receive any replies.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Arlene Getz/CPJ Editorial Director.

The news crews worked for Kosovo public broadcaster RTK and private TV stations Tëvë1, RTV Dukagjini, Klan Kosova, and KTV.

One of the protesters pushed RTK camera operator Bardh Bekteshi to the ground, stole his camera, and kicked him several times, according to a video published by RTK on Twitter, and Gentiana Begolli Pustina, RTK’s head of international relations and communications, who communicated with CPJ via email.

An emergency room treated Bekteshi for a fractured left arm and minor injuries to his face, left knee, and back on June 16 before releasing him to recover at home.

Since late May, protests have broken out throughout northern Kosovo over the election of several ethnic Albanian mayors to represent Serb-majority areas, after many Serbs boycotted the elections. More than a dozen ethnic Albanian journalists have been attacked or harassed while covering the protests.

On June 19, Kosovo Police announced they arrested an ethnic Serb resident of Leposavic, whom they identified by his initials U.V., on suspicion of being involved in the attack, according to a report by regional news website Balkan Insight. The suspect’s legal representation denied his involvement.

CPJ’s email to the press department of the Kosovo Police did not receive an immediate reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

In late May, protests broke out throughout northern Kosovo over the election of several ethnic Albanian mayors to represent Serb-majority areas, after many Serbs had boycotted the elections.

More than a dozen ethnic Albanian journalists have been attacked or harassed while covering the protests, according to news reports and Xhemajl Rexha, chair of the independent trade organization Association of Journalists of Kosovo.

“Kosovo authorities must thoroughly investigate the recent attacks on news crews covering protests in the country and hold the perpetrators to account,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “Kosovo authorities, as well as international NATO-led forces in the area, must ensure that members of the press can safely cover protests without fear of harassment or assault.”

May 29

In the northern town of Zvečan, a group of 15 to 20 Serb protesters approached about 10 Albanian-speaking reporters and demanded that they stop filming, according to news reports and Rexha. When the journalists refused, the protesters began throwing rocks and eggs and shouted ethnic slurs at them.

Masked individuals also attempted to seize a camera from a journalist with the Kosovo news Periskopi and tore the camera operator’s shirt, and three people wearing masks separately knocked a camera out of the hands of a journalist with the Kosovo news website Gazeta Papirus.

People also painted Serbian nationalist symbols on a parked car with the logo of the privately owned Albanian TV station Top Channel in Zvečan.

In the northern town of Leposavić, crews with the local broadcaster RTV Dukagjini, news website Kallxho, and the regional outlet Balkan Investigative Reporting Network found their cars vandalized with their tires slashed and painted with Serbian nationalistic symbols after they returned from reporting.

Protestors also slashed the tires and broke the windows of a car with the logo of the privately owned Kosovo TV channel TëVë 1 and set it on fire while the journalists covered protests in the northern town of Zublin Potok. 

May 30

In Leposavić, eight to 10 protesters, some wearing masks, approached news crews with RTV Dukagjini and the privately owned Kosovo website KOHA and demanded they stop filming. As the reporters continued to cover the demonstrations, protesters threw rocks and eggs and tried to block them from filming by putting their hands in front of their cameras. Protestors also took a camera from a TëVë 1 camera operator and broke it.

Also in Leposavić, four or five people threw bricks and stones at two cars, each marked as “Press,” while they were carrying journalists with the privately owned independent Albanian TV channels A2 CNN and News23, and the news websites Panorama and News24. No one was injured. 

A2 CNN reporter Jul Kasapi was later quoted by his employer saying that officers with the NATO-led international peacekeeping Kosovo Force, or KFOR, stood by and did not intervene.

In North Mitrovica, protesters took a mobile phone from Berat Bahtiri, a camera operator for privately owned Kosovo broadcaster RTV21. Police later found it destroyed, Rexha told CPJ. Bahtiri suffered minor injuries on his arms during a scuffle over the phone.

In the northern town of Zubin, protesters threw an explosive at a taxi containing a news crew with the Albanian service of the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster RFE/RL, which did not damage the vehicle or result in any injuries.

Masked protesters in Zveçan shot at a car marked “Press” carrying camera operator Bledar Rexha and reporter Butrint Bejra, with the privately owned Albanian station Syri TV. One bullet hit the car, but no one was injured.

Also in Zveçan, unidentified people broke windows, punctured tires, and painted Serb nationalist symbols on two cars used by journalists with KOHA and the privately owned Kosovo TV station T7. Separately in Zveçan, people punctured the tires of two cars used by journalists with the privately owned Kosovo TV channels Kanal 10 and ATV, and also punctured the tires and shot bullets into a car, which was not marked press, used by journalists working for Periskopi.

May 31

An unknown individual punched RTV21 reporter Burim Zariq in the abdomen while he was recording protests in Zveçan. The journalist did not report any serious injury.

On June 2, CPJ joined 12 other press freedom organizations in a joint statement calling on Kosovo authorities to implement the necessary measures to guarantee reporters’ safety as they report on the protests. CPJ emailed KFOR and the Kosovo police for comment but did not receive any replies.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Erik Crouch.

Since the beginning of December, at least three TV crews covering demonstrations in northern Kosovo have been targeted in separate attacks by unknown individuals. 

Violence erupted in the region after the December 9 arrest of a Kosovo Serb police officer suspected of involvement in attacks on Kosovo police patrols. In response to his arrest, Serbs living in northern Kosovo erected barricades on main roads.

“Kosovo authorities must launch a swift and exhaustive investigation into recent attacks on the TV crews of Kallxo, Klan Kosova, and RTV Dukagjini and bring the perpetrators to justice,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “Kosovo and international authorities in charge of security in northern Kosovo must ensure that members of the press can safely cover protests without fear of harassment and assault.”

On December 9, a TV crew with the privately owned news website Kallxo was filming the streets in the northern town of Mitrovica from their car when a group of seven or eight men with coverings over their heads and faces began hitting the car with their fists and throwing objects, according to news reports and reporting by the outlet. CPJ’s email to Kallxo’s general inbox did not receive a reply. 

On December 10, the two-person crew from the privately owned Kosovo TV station RTV Dukagjini were preparing to broadcast near a road barricade in the northern village of Rudare when unknown individuals threw an explosive device behind reporter Doruntina Bylykbash, according to news reports, outlet footage posted to Facebook, and Bylykbash who spoke with CPJ via a messaging app. 

Bylykbash told CPJ that they were carrying their microphone and camera, identifying them as journalists. No one was injured because her camera operator was able to warn her to move in time. They did not report the attack to authorities; however, an investigation was launched by Kosovo police, KFOR, and EULEX after the news reports about the incident.

Currently, Kosovo police do not patrol northern Kosovo, which is instead monitored by KFOR, a NATO-led international peacekeeping force, and EULEX, the  European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, according to Haris Ademi, a reporter with the privately owned Kosovo TV station Klan Kosova, who spoke to CPJ by email. 

On December 19, a three-person Klan Kosova TV crew was filming a road barricade near the northern village of Çaber when they were approached by seven or eight men dressed in black with their faces covered. The men began chanting “kill,” and throwing stones at the crew, according to news reports, outlet footage posted to Facebook, and Ademi. 

The crew, which included Ademi, camera operator Agon Bejtullahu, and driver Elsad Sinan, fled the scene without injury. The outlet’s logo on the car, their news camera, and Ademi’s microphone identified them as journalists, Ademi said.

Ademi told CPJ that they reported the attack to the Kosovo police but has no update on the investigation. 

Kosovo police confirmed to CPJ in an email that criminal investigations into these attacks are underway, “even though the situation and circumstances created by the barricades in the north make the work of police difficult.” They said preventing and investigating criminal acts, “including cases where the media/journalists were attacked,” remains their priority.

CPJ’s emails to the press department of KFOR and EULEX did not receive an immediate reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.