In the early morning hours of today, Monday March 27, 2023, Top Channel was hit by a terrorist attack, never seen before in 32 years of building the state of law and free speech.
The consequence of this attack was the loss of life of the security worker, Pal Kola, who was on duty, part of the staff of the security company "Öktapus".
At 00.40, the deceased Pal Kola was found in the center of the barrage with 25 bullets in the direction of the Top Channel building.
The loss of the life of the family, the father and husband Pal Kola in the line of duty, is the biggest shock and blow for Top Channel.
We offer our deepest condolences to the Kola family, standing by their side as they face this tragedy.
Likewise, Top Channel expresses the clarity that this unprecedented terrorist act was carried out to damage and attack the mission of free media and the power of free speech.
Top Channel was founded, created with the spirit of the man who built not only the idea of an Albanian media with western values, but above all a media that is represented by a large group of outstanding professionals, public figures and intellectuals, that every day in an unstoppable television broadcast and not only, they serve the public with full dedication.
Terrorist attacks of this type clearly show how important free speech is and how disturbing it is to undermine democracy.
In the name of the highest duty we have served, Top Channel will continue to inherit and carry out its mission of free speech to the public and Albanian society.
In the name of this mission, Top Channel requests and expects a full clarification of the incident from the law enforcement bodies.
Clearing up this act should be a priority for law enforcement bodies, because an employee of Top Channel was killed, but it is also an assassination attempt against the television that has served in transparency and support of the law by contributing information and awareness and strengthening of law institutions for Albanian society.
This terrorist act is unprecedented against a national media, it is only related to its mission of free speech.
Top Channel, its shareholders and family members, managers, journalists and authors, have not and have never been the target of any individual attack since its establishment, everything in this terrorist act is related and has only to do with Top Channel's mission .
This unprecedented crime and terrorist act requires an immediate, responsible and tough response from the State Police and justice institutions, to bring the perpetrators of the murder to justice.
Top Channel, is and will be, at the service of the Albanian public, despite the constant pressures of those who undermine democracy, who recognize and tolerate all the free media that worship and build alongside Western values for the construction of institutions and principles of society Albanian.