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Businessman Dionis Teqja's lawsuit against the media, SafeJournalists: Court decision raises concerns about proportionality

2026-05-07 17:37:01Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Businessman Dionis Teqja's lawsuit against the media, SafeJournalists:
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The SafeJournalists Network has stated that it is closely following a recent court decision in Albania, which relates to a decision to secure a lawsuit to remove media content and block public access, before the case has been reviewed and decided on its merits.

On April 24, 2026, the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction in Tirana issued a decision “to secure the lawsuit” in a civil case for “non-pecuniary damage”, filed by businessman Dionis Teqja against ten online media outlets and portals. According to the decision, the lawsuit seeks 500,000 euros from one of the media outlets and 20,000 euros from each of the other nine media outlets, with a total claim of around 680,000 euros against the ten media defendants.

The case concerns reports on a civil/commercial proceeding in which the plaintiff was involved. Some reports appear to have presented a civil procedural notice as if it were a “wanted” notice. In public usage in Albania, the expression “wanted” is usually associated with a criminal status, police search or action by criminal justice bodies, while the judicial development in question is related to a civil procedural notice.

In its reasoning, the decision refers to the fact that the defendants, through publications on online portals, social networks and video platforms, have used “sensational and untrue headlines”, creating the impression that the plaintiff was “wanted” by the justice authorities. The decision also refers to the contested content as “articles with misleading headlines” or “deceptive articles”.

The SafeJournalists Network emphasizes that reporting on judicial proceedings should be accurate, verified and clearly contextualized, including in headlines and reprints. The right to protection of reputation is a legitimate interest and individuals have the right to seek legal remedies when they believe that reporting has been untrue, misleading or damaging.

At the same time, any restriction affecting media content must be necessary, proportionate, narrowly defined and carefully justified. In this case, the court ordered the defendants to “immediately remove the articles in question from portals, social platforms and any other digital environment where they were published” and to “block public access to them” until the conclusion of the trial on the merits.

The SafeJournalists Network expresses concern about the procedural context, scope and timing of this measure. The decision was taken “in private, without the presence of the parties”, before the case was examined on the merits. The measure extends to websites, social networks and any other digital environment where the articles were published, without making a clear distinction between the original contested wording, corrected versions, republishings or other related content, and without a defined deadline beyond the conclusion of the trial on the merits.

The decision itself states that “the request for securing the claim does not constitute a judgment of the merits” and is based on a preliminary assessment. However, the use at this stage of terms such as “false”, “misleading” and “articles with misleading headlines” for reporting raises concerns that the judicial reasoning may create the impression of characterizing the contested content before the full consideration of the civil claim.

The SafeJournalists Network does not prejudge the accuracy of the contested reporting or the merits of the civil lawsuit. Our concern relates to the precedent that can be set when courts order the removal and blocking of media content before a final decision, especially when the measure is broad, taken without hearing the affected media, and not clearly limited to what is strictly necessary.

The Network stresses that any restrictions on media content should be assessed in accordance with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights on prior restrictions, online archives and proportionate remedies in matters relating to reputation. Less restrictive measures, including correction, clarification, the right of reply or other targeted remedies, should be considered where appropriate.

This case also reinforces the Network’s long-standing recommendations to align civil remedies in disputes related to freedom of expression and the media in Albania with European standards on freedom of expression and the protection of journalism. This includes reviewing whether civil proceedings provide sufficient safeguards against disproportionate intermediate restrictions on media content, particularly where several media outlets are sued jointly, high amounts of compensation are sought and orders to remove content are issued prior to a decision on the merits. These safeguards should reflect the Council of Europe standards on the safety of journalists and against SLAPPs, as well as relevant EU standards in the context of Albania’s accession process.

The Network also reiterates its long-standing call for strengthening non-judicial remedies and professional accountability mechanisms. Effective right-of-reply procedures, visible correction practices, independent self-regulatory mechanisms, careful verification before republishing, and editorial responsibility for titles, context, and legal terminology are essential to addressing reputational damage without resorting to overly broad restrictions on media content.

The SafeJournalists Network will continue to monitor the case, including any appeals or further procedural developments.

SafeJournalists Network

Journalists' Association of BiH

Kosovo Journalists Association

Macedonian Journalists Association

Croatian Journalists Association

Independent Journalists Association of Serbia

Media Union of Montenegro


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