Sokol Balla’s message

Sokol Balla’s message

Hello!

I believe that many of you are informed about the unprecedented attack that was made against my private life, after an action that was well organized by a group that I would call a cyberterrorist group. They entered in my living room, where I live alone, and published moments of my private lives. These images were published on a website in Kosovo and later in other websites in Tirana.

The goal of this attack was pressure and blackmailing against my work and my public profile. The blackmailing went on for several days, but I refused the requests of cyberterrorists, being very aware of the consequences, but I was also clean with my conscience that everything regarding my privacy as a citizen is holly and protected by law. I want to thank the Albanian authorities who have started an international investigation about this issue.

I am not only a citizen, but also a journalist. My mission for the truth does not allow me to hide. I understand everyone who has not felt good after these images of my private life were taken through force and were shown. The main victims of this paid attack against my private and public life are the members of my family, and also the members of my other family, Top Channel, and of our viewers. But it was not my choice.

In sign of respect to the viewers who were hurt by the violent robbery of a few seconds of my private life, Top Story will be off air for a short time.

I want to thank my colleagues and those who had an opposite opinion but yet kept a clear and professional position on this issue. Someone said during these days that there was no better moment for a journalist to fall victim of bad journalism. I agree with this. It is better that the victim of this violent act against privacy was me, a journalist, than someone else.

During these days I really appreciated the support of most of the public opinion, which showed that the Albanian society is more open and more modern than thought, and that they know how to divide the public from the private life, the legal from the illegal, the moral from the immoral.

During these days that I will be off air, I will stay close to my relatives, the real victims of this attack. I will also start a big legal battle against those who organized this attack on the privacy of an individual. I don’t know if I will win all of these battles, but as a citizen and tax payer of this country, I need to trust the law, the Prosecution and Courts in my efforts, so that citizen Sokol Balla may be the last victim of this unprecedented attack against the privacy of an individual.

Thank you and see you soon!

Top Channel

Top Channel