Businessman Tekja's lawsuit against the media, the Union of Journalists reacts: We have addressed the EU and European journalist organizations

2026-05-06 20:08:01Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Judge Flamur Kapllani and businessman Dionis Teqja

The Albanian Journalists Union has also reacted to the case of a lawsuit filed by businessman Dionis Teqja against several media outlets.

More specifically, Tirana judge Flamur Kapllani, through a "lawsuit security" obtained from the Tirana Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction, requests the removal of a news item related to businessman Dionis Teqja.

The Union of Albanian Journalists says that the decision of the Tirana Court of First Instance, and the penalization of several new media outlets and journalists, as well as financial amounts as punishment, for publications made, where according to the Court, the plaintiff is violated, is a rare case and deserves special attention.

Statement of the Albanian Journalists' Union:

The Union of Albanian Journalists was informed today by several online media executives that the Court of First Instance of general jurisdiction in Tirana, with a decision "on securing the lawsuit", on 24.04.2026, has considered in the consultation room, without the presence of the parties, the civil case No. 12320 with the plaintiff citizen Dionis Teqja and the defendants "Hekla" shpk legal entity, Zëri Media shpk, MCN 24 shpk, "Media Solution" shpk, "Dosja" shpk, Vox News" shpk, "Newsbomb" shpk, EM Media" shpk, as well as the journalists Ariglon Pali, Arsen Rusta., forcing the subjects to pay the plaintiff a considerable amount.

This is the first decision of this kind and carries a significant financial penalty of up to 500.00 euros for published defamation.

UGSH, as soon as it learned about this decision, today turned to a legal assistance office to submit the text of the decision to a legal review.

Our reaction, as the largest organization of professional journalists in Albania, will be embodied in a legal analysis of the decision and its content in the coming days.

While, in accordance with our professional culture, we are not commenting on the penalties, the decision of the judging panel to force all media outlets to delete the alleged publications creates a precedent that violates free expression and conflicts with the sovereignty of the editor and the decision-making he enjoys regarding the publication and circulation of media content.

In advance, the trial panel should make known on what media expertise it bases its request, and in the case where the defendants are journalists or media outlets, the practice of decision-making in a consulting room without the presence of the parties creates a case that opens up an important discussion, also of a legal nature.

The financial penalty imposed in the decision against journalist A.Rusta and weblajm.com is an amount that sets a record in sentencing practices for this offense.

UGSH addresses the legal offices of the EC and EU and European organizations of journalists to, in this case, offer their consultancy for the analysis and legal review of the assessment of the decision, adhering to the principle of non-interference and respect for the legality of the right of expression in the country's media space.

Information office

Albanian Union of Journalists


Video