Why is the attack on Top Channel the most dangerous in the history of the Albanian press?

The barbaric attack on the central editorial office of Top Channel is not only dangerous because it took the life of an innocent man and endangered dozens of others.

The attack is barbaric, as more than one suffering man has killed fear to attack the biggest television in the country, and comes from the world of crime. 

The press, of course, is always at the center of political attacks or social debates, but there are some taboos for not touching the news, which have actually been violated only in Albania by politics.

This is the first time that a gang has publicly attacked a television building, without taking care to disguise itself.

Why is the attack on Top Channel the scariest and most dangerous in the history of the Albanian press?

In the history of the Albanian press after 1990, there have been more tragic events than physical attacks on the editorial office. On March 3, 1997, Sali Berisha's bodyguards and some officers of the National Information Service attacked the editorial office of the "Koha Jonë" newspaper with firecrackers in hand, massacring a journalist and injuring the guards of the building. And they used a bridge of fire, guns and bullets, to desecrate the editorial office that was doing battle with Sali Berisha. And they did it as a sign of triumph on the day Sali Berisha was re-elected in an illegitimate parliament.

The event was just as barbaric, but with a clear address. The next morning everyone knew and knew the murderer. It was Sali Berisha. For this reason, he was listed as one of the ten world enemies of the press, alongside North Korea, Cuba, Milosevic and the Ayatollahs of Iran.

The attack aroused disgust and rage against Sali Berisha, but not fear. Everyone knew the enemy.

On a smaller scale, but just as aggressive, was the attack within a week against me and the editors of the "TemA" newspaper, at the height of the battle for denouncing the affairs of the ruling Berisha family. They burned the car in front of the house, blowing it up and surrounded the newsroom with police, not to let us even take the jacket, because according to Berisha, we were endangering national security.

Por prapë frika nuk ishte aq e madhe. E njihnim vrasësin tonë dhe ishim në betejë me të. Nuk na frikësonte dot. Ishte Sali Berisha.

Sulmi ndaj Top Channel është më i frikshëm jo se është më barbar, por se tani nuk bëhet direkt nga Sali Berisha siç ndodhte më parë, por bëhet nga banditë të frymëzuar nga shkelja e vijës së kuqe kundër shtypit. 

Sulmin mbi Top Channel nuk e ka porositur Sali Berisha, por ai ka bërë më shumë se kaq. Ai ka hequr frikën dhe ka thyer tabunë për mos prekjen e shtypit, duke ua kthyer në normalitet çdo banditi sulmin mbi gazetarë.

Ndaj ata banditët që mund të kenë qëlluar në emër të ndonjë interesi të cënuar nga gazetarët e Top Channelit, nuk kanë pasur frikë, por përkundrazi kanë pasur kurajë të qëllojnë haptazi duke vrarë dhe një qytetar të pafajshëm. Dhe ata janë anonimë derisa të zbulohen. 

We don't know where their inspiration will stop now to silence the press with guns.

Therefore, the attack on Top Channel is the most dangerous, the most barbaric, and above all, frightening for the future of press freedom in a country where bandits are now afraid to raise their arms against a newsroom. 

All other previous attacks in this country, mainly coming from Sali Berisha, were not so intimidating, as we knew our enemy. And this barbarism produces more fear and uncertainty than any other case, since its author is no longer a name, but a phenomenon.