Upon establishing that Informer Daily violated the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination by calling the Albanians “Shiptars”, the Commissioner for Protection of Equality reached the opinion that media portal Telegraf acted discriminatory for the same reasons.

Specifically, during October 2014, after the football match between Serbia and Albania and visit of the Albanian Prime Minister to Serbia, Telegraf Daily published a series of texts with the following titles: “Kosovo Is the Heart of Serbia: This is How Shiptars United Grobari and Delije”, “Upcoming Chaos: Shiptars Already in Knez Mihajlova Street, War of Fans Threatening?!”, "Exclusive Video: Here It Is How Shiptars Smuggled the Flag of Greater Albania to Belgrade!, “Shiptar Journalist for Telegraf: It Was Known That Our Fans Were Preparing Something Big!”.

Praxis filed a complaint to the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, stating that members of the Albanian nationality are insulted by using the word “Shiptar”. To remind, on the same occasion Praxis and 13 other non-governmental organizations filed an appeal to the Appeals Commission of the Press Council. The Appeals Commission adopted the appeal and reached the decision that Telegraf Daily has violated the Code of Ethics of Serbian Journalists, precisely the provision according to which a journalist shall oppose all those who violate human rights or who advocate any kind of discrimination, hate speech or incitement to violence, and the one according to which a journalist must be aware of the danger of discrimination that can be spread by media and shall do everything to avoid discrimination.
The Commissioner for Protection of Equality reached the opinion that the above-stated texts violated the provisions of the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination. It is stated in the opinion that calling the Albanians “Shiptars” is pejorative and insults the members of this national minority. The Commissioner pointed that this conclusion arises from the analysis of modern texts dealing with the origin of the word “Shiptar”, its meaning in the modern context and feelings it arise among the Albanians in Serbia. The text Serbian Nationalism in the Twentieth Century by Audrey Helfant Budding, associate of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and lecturer at Harvard University, where it is stated that since the spring 1968 the word Shiptar, previously used to denote Yugoslav Albanians unlike the Albanians in Albania, has been replaced by the word Albanian in the official use in Serbia, the use of which had been previously limited only to the citizens of Albania. That is how the term, which had taken derogatory connotation, was abolished and it was pointed out in the opinion that the use of the term “Shiptar” instead of Albanian may, particularly in conflict situations, incite intolerance towards the Albanian community and cause negative feelings among the members of the Albanian national minority living in Serbia.

The Commissioner for Protection of Equality recommended that Aleksandar Sasa Jovanovic, the editor-in-chief of the media portal Telegraf do not publish the articles insulting the dignity of the members of the Albanian national minority and contribute with published texts to the change of patterns, customs and practice that condition stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination against members of the Albanian national minority, and take care through its regular activities not to violate the regulations on prohibition of discrimination.

Download: Opinion of the Commissioner for Protection of Equality