The answer that the Internal Affairs Ministry (MUP) gave to N1 on Wednesday about the trespassing incident on N1 TV station grounds did not provide key information about the case because the MUP tried to focus on information which is not relevant, N1 TV said.

It said that the MUP did not answer any of the serious questions: why they didn’t react to the trespassing on private property, why they didn’t get the names of the people at the gathering which was not registered and why they didn’t react to appeals to protect station staff.

“Instead of clearly stating who decided to keep the police on the sidelines, not reacting, the MUP said in its reply that there was no violation of public order which did not mask the fact that the group trespassed and held an unregistered gathering and that the police, despite appeals from N1, did not react and move the group out. It should be clear to everyone that any kind of gathering on the grounds of the N1 building is not possible without permission from the owner which was not forthcoming in this case,” N1 said.

Also, the law does not allow gatherings in places where human and minority rights and liberties are violated by gatherings or in places closed to the public, the press release said.

“The group that trespassed on N1 property last night prevented staff from producing the program which is a form of limiting the right to free expression, that is the right of the public to be informed about issues of public interest. Had the police acted in line with the law it would have had to, at the very least, check the IDs of the protesters because they were at an unregistered gathering on private property where no gatherings are allowed, and not in a way that would prevent N1 reporting. By preventing us from doing our job (regardless of whether public order was disrupted), an attempt was made to prevent program production and a violation of the right to do media activities which is very much relevant for prosecutors,” it said.

N1 added that the MUP did not say that this was a case of property endangerment which led journalists to feel unsafe.

“That is why N1 insists that the MUP investigate all the circumstances of this case and determine who approved this dangerous precedent and flagrant violation of the law, bearing in mind the intensity of pressure, threats and attacks that N1 is constantly exposed to, especially over the past few weeks.