June 10, 2025
Civil society organizations express deep concern about public posting of MP Ardit Bido to Kristina Voko, Executive Director of BIRN Albania.
This post constitutes a public lynching of the head of an independent organization working in the field of media, transparency and public accountability. By distorting a discussion held in the Assembly, the post presents a legitimate and legally based intervention as a suspicious, anti-national act or linked to foreign interests.
On June 8, at the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Public Media, during hearings with civil society organizations on the annual reports of independent institutions, including AMA and RTSH, Kristina Voko raised a clear legal issue:1 the obligation of the public broadcaster to provide inclusive information and content, including national minorities and people with disabilities.
This is a recognized issue under Albanian law and is directly related to the public mission of RTSH. National minorities have the right to be informed in their own language and RTSH has an obligation to serve the entire public, not just the majority. Therefore, presenting this request as a threat to the national interest is inaccurate, dangerous and discriminatory.
Even more worrying is the way the post uses ethnicity as a means of delegitimization. In a democratic society, no one can be attacked or discredited because of their origin, language or ethnicity. Using ethnic identity to attack a representative of civil society and portray her as “foreign” or “against the national interest” is unacceptable.
This case occurs in a particularly sensitive context, when citizens, activists, media and civil society organizations are raising concerns about the Zvërnec project and the Vjosa-Nartë area, within the framework of the civic mobilization known as the “Flamingo Revolution”. These concerns relate to environmental protection, transparency, public consultation, accountability and respect for the law.
In this context, the attempt to present critical voices as “enemies”, “foreigners” or motivated by ethnicity aims to shift attention from real issues of public interest and create a climate of intimidation towards civil society, the media and citizens who participate in public debate.
Civil society has the right and obligation to participate in parliamentary hearings, raise legal and institutional concerns, and demand accountability from public institutions. Participation in a parliamentary process cannot be used as material for personal, ethnic attacks, or public lynching by elected representatives.
Attacks of this nature are not without consequences. When a representative of civil society is publicly targeted by an elected official because of her origin or critical stance, the message conveyed goes beyond the individual case: it tells all those who speak out, especially women who lead independent organizations, journalists and activists, that participating in public debate can be turned against them in the form of lynching. This chilling effect undermines the very foundation of a democratic society, where criticism and accountability should be possible without fear of reprisal.
We call on MP Ardit Bido to retract the post and publicly apologize.
We call on the Assembly of Albania, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the Socialist Party Parliamentary Group to clearly distance themselves from any language that targets representatives of civil society, the media, or citizens on the basis of ethnicity, language, origin, or critical stance.
We call on the Secretariat for Procedures, Voting and Ethics in the Parliament of Albania to examine this case, as the use of a parliamentary hearing for public lynching and ethnic targeting violates the standards of conduct of MPs and may discourage the participation of civil society in parliamentary processes.
We call on the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination to assess this case within the framework of his legal powers, taking into account the use of ethnicity as a means of targeting, delegitimizing and public lynching by an elected representative.
Signatory Organizations
- Science and Innovation Center for Development (SCiDEV)
- Together Foundation
- Civic Resistance
- Albanian Center for Economic Research (ACER)
- Albanian Center for Quality Journalism (ACQJ)
- Journalists' Association of Albania (AGSH)
- Citizens.al
- Albanian Helsinki Committee (AKHH)
- Albanian Media Council (AMC)
- Faktoje.al
- Information and Active Citizenship Network (INAC)
- Albanian Women in Audiovisual (AWA)
- Partners Albania for Change and Development (Partners)
- Center for Children's Rights in Albania (CRCA-ECPAT Albania)
- Amphora Center
- Civil Rights Defenders Albania
- European Movement Albania (EMA)
- Academy of Political Studies (ASP)
- Gender Alliance for Development Center (GADC)
- Institute of Political Studies (ISP)
- Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development — All Green Centre
- Together for Life Association (TFL)
- ResPublica Center
- Alliance Against LGBTI Discrimination
- "Education for Change" Center
- “Beyond Barriers” Association
- Albanian Foundation for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ADRF)
- Center for the Study of Democracy and Governance (CSDG)
- Different & Equal
- Center for Gender Justice in Albania
- Environmental Resource Center in Albania
- Women's Empowerment Network in Albania (AWEN)
- European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
- The Arsis Initiative
- Albanian Media Institute
