Freedom of speech, yes, but hate speech, no! This is how lawyer Sashko Dukovski’s stance on the actions of ZNM and SSNM can be summarized following the status update of Bogdan Ilievski, also known as Batman, the author and host of the night show “Bogdan Ilievski’s Evening Show.” In a brief comment under Ilievski’s post, in which he discusses the proceedings of journalist associations, lawyer Dukovski writes: ZNM and SSNM sent a joint letter to foreign embassies and organizations in the country, expressing particular concern regarding internet threats and attacks on female journalists. For the journalist associations in the country, there is a “disturbing trend (which) poses a serious threat to the freedom of the media and undermines the democratic values and principles that Macedonia and its international partners support.” Additionally, such pressures create a feeling of insecurity and cause self-censorship in the media space, states the explanation from ZNM.

The concern of ZNM and SSNM about a “serious threat to the freedom of the media” follows Ilievski’s Facebook comment: “Okay, why?”, accompanied by a photo clip from an online interview of journalist Lepa Jundeva with New Democracy MP Angelos Sirigos. In Ilievski’s Facebook post, ZNM sees threats and incitement to hate speech on social networks against the colleague from TV24, leading ZNM to condemn Batman and file a criminal complaint against him.

According to ZNM, “the latest serious case of threats and incitement to hate speech on social networks involved colleague Lepa Jundeva from TV 24, related to her interview with the Greek MP Sirigos. Part of this interview, taken out of context, was published on his Facebook profile by Bogdan Ilievski, TV host of an evening show, which encouraged hate speech and threats that could lead to violence.”

Ilievski’s comment refers to the gratitude expressed by the journalist to the Greek MP, in which she says, “here in Skopje, Macedonia.”