The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned press freedom and freedom of expression organisations in expressing deep concern over incidents of intimidation, threats, and physical and verbal assaults against journalists covering the 26 October parliamentary elections in Georgia. The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) documented at least 30 election-related media freedom violations involving 34 media professionals. Journalists and camera operators faced physical attacks on them and their equipment. This included an incident in Kutaisi where three individuals assaulted a CNews journalist at a polling station. In other cases, camera operators were attacked, and their equipment was damaged. Journalists were also insulted, threatened,…

The EFJ President Maja Sever today wrote to the EFJ Spanish affiliates expressing the condolences and solidarity of the European Federation of Journalists for the victims of the flash floods in Spain. “Dear colleagues and affiliates, I am writing on behalf of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) to express our deepest condolences and solidarity in the wake of the deadliest floods in years, as Spain starts a three-day period of official mourning. My thoughts are with the 155 people who lost their lives and the unknown number of people who remain missing, while thousands of others are without electricity…

For six years, the media professionals working for the Dutch news portal NU.nl have been facing continuous harassment, including aggressive messages and death threats. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its affiliate, the Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ) in standing in full solidarity with the threatened media workers and calling on the Dutch authorities to prosecute the perpetrators. Since 2018, NU.nl has received regular criticism of its content via email. These were all sent by a man who became increasingly aggressive over time. His messages changed in tone to include swearing and, more recently, death threats. Recent chilling messages…

Following a two-day mission to Dublin on 22-23 October 2024, the partners of the Council of Europe’s Platform on Safety of Journalists, including the EFJ-IFJ, today called on Irish authorities to continue to engage with civil society in order to prioritise the reform of defamation legislation, the adoption of comprehensive anti-SLAPP provisions, the safety of journalists throughout the island of Ireland, and a sustainable model for trusted public service media.  The Partner organisations met with journalists, representatives of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), and government officials from the Department of Justice and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht,…

A new report by MFRR and CoE Platform partners highlights rising threats to press freedom and journalist safety amid increasing polarisation and fear before the 2024 election in Georgia. On 1-2 October, the partner organisations of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists and of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), including ARTICLE 19 Europe, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Index on Censorship, the International Press Institute (IPI), the Justice for Journalists Foundation, and Reporters Without Borders…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners in strongly condemning the numerous judicial decisions aimed at preventing the publication of information by four Belgian media outlets. The return of preventive censorship, which the Belgian Constitution prohibits, marks an alarming deterioration of press freedom in Belgium.  On 10 October, the President of the Court of First Instance in Liège issued a “suspension order” to prevent the publication of an article of public interest in the daily newspaper Le Soir. The censored article concerned the legal consequences of an investigation into tax offences involving Maxime…

“Self-realisation” is the word Anja Matić chose to describe her experience at the Voices festival as an awardee. “Thrilling” was Vicky Hristova’s choice, and “inspiring” was Ilaria Potenza’s. The Voices Festival was created to provide a place for the media community and citizens interested in promoting better-informed societies to meet and discuss crucial themes shaping our relationship with information and media.  In this context, the festival will put in the spotlight 10 talents and innovative projects to promote outstanding work in the fields of Media Literacy (5 awards) and Journalism (5 awards).  We invite European journalists who would like to…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), along with 60 undersigned press freedom and freedom of expression groups, media outlets, and civil society organizations, condemns the official revocation of the terrestrial broadcasting license of independent radio station Açık Radyo by Turkey’s broadcast regulator, RTÜK (Radio and Television Supreme Council). This action marks a severe blow to independent radio broadcasting in Turkey, silencing a platform known for promoting diverse, critical voices and addressing issues of profound public interest. Açık Radyo, an independent and non-profit media organisation founded in 1995, has long been a vital source of free expression in Turkey. Over the past three decades,…

Czech journalist Kristina Ciroková was recently declared a “suspicious individual” by Slovak prosecutor Lucia Pavlaninová after she reported on a Ukrainian cult that spread pro-Russia propaganda.  The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) firmly condemn this abuse of power and demand that the office of the prosecutor drop the charges. On 25 September, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Žilina, northern Slovakia, started investigating Kristina Ciroková, a reporter for the Czech newspaper Seznam Zprav, for allegedly  “supporting and promoting anti-cult movements”. This is related to her investigative work on cults, but more precisely to an article and a video she…

On Monday 14th October, the media community reached a consensus on the need for multi-stakeholder dialogue as countries implement recent EU media legislations at the EFJ high-level European conference on Self-Regulation and Regulation in the Media Sector. Over 90 people attended the conference as ULB hosted media regulators, self-regulators, journalists’ professional representatives, publishers’ professional representatives, ULB Masters of Journalism students, EU policymakers, researchers and civil society for the one-day event to discuss media regulation and its impact on journalists and citizens. “This conference is about the importance of the self-regulation system but also about how such a system can only…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), together with its French affiliate CFDT-Journalistes, strongly condemn the numerous attacks against journalists during the high-profile Mazan rape trial. These attacks include the eviction of Frédéric Munsch, who was assaulted by one of the defendants, and gender-based intimidation, such as that suffered by the journalist Anna Margueritat. The Mazan rapes trial began on 2 September 2024 before the Criminal Court of Vaucluse. Fifty-one defendants, including Dominique Pélicot, Gisèle Pélicot’s husband, will be on trial until next December in this legal case which has already attracted unprecedented attention. This trial, widely covered by French and…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined eleven organisations members of the Spyware Coordination Group in addressing the European Parliament regarding serious concerns about the procurement, use, and regulation of spyware technologies in Slovakia and Greece. In a joint letter, the coalition highlights the alarming developments in both countries, where spyware tools like Pegasus and Predator have been linked to violations of privacy and fundamental rights. The letter urges the European Parliament to take immediate action to ensure transparency, accountability, and adherence to legal standards, emphasising the need for robust legislative frameworks to protect privacy and freedom of expression across…

We, the undersigned civil society and journalists’ organisations (CSOs) that advocate for the safeguarding and promotion of the rule of law, democracy, freedom of expression, media freedom and the protection of journalists are appalled by the decisions of the Atlantic Council to award Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis Atlantic Council Global Citizen Awards.  We find that these decisions risk normalising their repressive policies and actions against media freedom and can further erode democratic principles and embolden authoritarian tendencies in both countries and beyond. According to the European Commission’s annual Rule of Law report and…

On the eve of the seventh anniversary of the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia on 16 October 2017, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and ten other journalist and freedom of expression organizations wrote to Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela calling on his government to speed up reforms to create a safer environment for the media community in Malta. The groups called on Abela, after years of delay, to finally deliver on the recommendations of a public inquiry into her murder, which concluded in 2021 that the state had created an “atmosphere of impunity” and failed to take…

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and partner organisations today mourn the death of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who died in unclear circumstances while in Russian detention, and whose death was confirmed by Russian and Ukrainian authorities on Thursday. We welcome the opening of an investigation by Ukrainian authorities on the grounds of “war crime combined with premeditated murder” and demand that Russian authorities do the same to elucidate the circumstances of Roshchyna’s death and bring to justice all those who could be responsible. Roshchyna, a freelance journalist with Ukrainska Pravda, a major Ukrainian publication, and several other leading Ukrainian…