The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) project, joins its Albanian affiliate, the Association of Journalists of Albania (AGSH), in raising concerns over the new internal Regulation of the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO) which introduces significant restrictions on journalists’ access to and reporting from court proceedings. The regulation which deviates clearly from the 2023 High Judicial Council Guidelines on relations between courts, the public and the media was secretly adopted without any prior consultation.

We call on the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime to immediately postpone the entry into force of the regulation in order to initiate a proper consultation process with EFJ members (APJA, AGSH and AEJ Albania) and other relevant stakeholders from the journalistic community, and develop a transparent framework that upholds the right to information and public hearings in line with the law and EU standards.

This new internal regulation represents a clear setback for judicial transparency. Particularly alarming is the prohibition on journalists using mobile phones during court hearings. Under Article 14 paragraph 7 of the High Judicial Council Guidelines, “court hearings may be recorded and broadcast in the media” as long as it does not conflict with the rules of due legal process. This prohibition of using mobile phones in courtrooms is far from trivial, as it directly hinders real-time reporting and the necessary communication with newsrooms to ensure timely and transparent coverage of high-profile anti-corruption and organized crime trials.

In its recent comparative report, published on 28 July 2026, AGSH warned that Albania does not need new restrictions, but rather the consistent application of existing rules and reasoned decisions on each individual request. It also recommended the use of partial recording instead of complete bans, in accordance with the High Judicial Council’s guidelines. On 11 June 2026, several Albanian TV broadcasters and press sent a letter to the High Judicial Council to express their concerns about the many difficulties that journalists encounter daily with public hearings and the right to information being treated merely as exceptions to the rule.

“Any regulation with such a profound impact on the public’s right to information must be adopted through transparent dialogue. A blanket prohibition on essential reporting tools is neither necessary nor proportionate. The EFJ supports the AGSH call to ensure that any restriction on judicial proceedings is well-reasoned, based on the law, and respects the media’s right to inform the public freely, professionally, and responsibly,” stated EFJ General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez.