In a statement, the international SafeJournalists Network responded to the detention of Dutch journalist and author Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei by the State Police during a student protest in Tirana on November 7.
The network condemns the reported police actions against the journalist, including handcuffing him, exposing him to pepper spray and seizing his mobile phone.
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The case of freelance journalist Alisa Braho also raises particular concern. Officers sprayed her with pepper spray as she filmed the police intervention and the detention of her colleague.
Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei is known in Albania as one of the journalists who have publicly criticized and raised questions about the contents of materials known as “The Albanian Files,” in connection with which the Special Prosecution Office (SPAK) has opened criminal proceedings.
Full statement:
The SafeJournalists Network expresses serious concern over the detention of Dutch journalist and author Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei by the State Police during the November 7, 2026 protest in Tirana, including his handcuffing, exposure to pepper spray and the seizure of his mobile phone. The reported use of pepper spray against freelance journalist Alisa Braho, who was filming the police intervention, raises further concerns about the actions of police officers. This latest incident reinforces a troubling pattern of police interference with journalists’ work during protests in Albania, despite repeated calls for investigations, accountability and effective protection.
According to Van Gerven Oei’s firsthand account, published on November 8, police detained him near Rinia Park without clearly explaining why. While Alisa Braho was filming the intervention, a police officer allegedly used pepper spray against her and Van Gerven Oei. The journalist was then handcuffed and taken to Police Station No. 3, where, according to his account, he was questioned before being informed of his rights, did not receive adequate medical assistance and was initially denied the opportunity to contact the Dutch Embassy. Police officers allegedly said they had footage showing him throwing stones, a claim the journalist denies. According to his account, he was released five hours after being registered at the police station, but his phone was initially retained as evidence, and he was not given copies of the relevant procedural documents. Following the prosecutor’s office’s swift intervention, his phone was returned on Sunday, November 8, at around 18:00.
The SafeJournalists Network welcomes the prosecutor’s office’s swift intervention and the return of the journalist’s phone. Nevertheless, the initial seizure raises important questions about journalistic confidentiality and the protection of sources. Any seizure or examination of journalists’ devices must comply with strict legal safeguards. The State Police Guidelines on the Safety of Journalists recognize journalists’ right to document police operations and restrict the seizure of journalistic equipment. The authorities must clarify the legal basis for the initial seizure, whether the phone’s contents were accessed or copied, and what safeguards were applied.
This case follows previous incidents in which police detained journalists and seized phones, as well as repeated acts of violence against, and obstruction of, journalists documenting police operations. The urgent need for institutional accountability has already been raised by international and European media freedom organizations, the SafeJournalists Network and Albanian organizations, as well as by a broader coalition of human rights, rule-of-law and civil society organizations.
The recurrence of these incidents raises serious questions about the police chain of command, oversight of operations and institutional accountability. Despite the adoption of the State Police Guidelines on the Safety of Journalists in May 2025, journalists continue to face violence and obstruction during protests. The authorities have yet to provide a sufficiently clear public account of the outcomes of investigations into incidents involving journalists and the corrective measures taken to prevent them from recurring. The gap between formally established safeguards and their implementation in practice remains a fundamental concern.
The SafeJournalists Network calls on the State Police and the competent authorities to clarify the legal basis for Van Gerven Oei’s detention and the initial seizure of his phone, make the relevant procedural documentation available and confirm whether any confidential journalistic material was accessed or copied.
The network calls on the Police Oversight Agency (AMP) and the competent prosecutorial authorities to independently investigate the reported use of force, the journalist’s treatment during detention and possible violations of his procedural rights, ensure the preservation of relevant evidence and establish responsibility wherever unlawful actions are found.
Beyond this individual case, State Police leaders and the Ministry of the Interior must publicly account for the investigations and measures undertaken following previous incidents involving journalists. The Albanian Parliament should exercise its oversight function, including by holding the parliamentary hearing previously requested by media freedom organizations and civil society, to examine police actions, operational oversight and the implementation of existing safeguards.
While the police are responsible for maintaining public order, their actions must always be lawful, necessary and proportionate. The state has a positive obligation to protect journalists, including when they document possible abuses by public authorities. The recurrence of incidents without transparent investigations, effective accountability and documented preventive measures risks undermining media freedom, public scrutiny of the exercise of power and the right to information.
The SafeJournalists Network expresses its solidarity with Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei, Alisa Braho and other affected journalists and will continue to monitor the case.
Every attack on journalists is an attack on democracy, the public interest and fundamental human rights.
