Europe: End impunity for crimes against journalists

Access to reliable information that journalists provide civil society is the lifeblood of a resilient democracy, where a robust system of checks and balances thrives. Impunity for the killings of journalists diminishes the rule of law and press freedom. As today we mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, we want to pay a special tribute to those reporters in Europe whose families still await justice for their murders. They were threatened, targeted and murdered for challenging the powerful and corrupt. We call on the states to redouble their political will to tackle impunity. When Greek…

EFJ and international organisations demand an end to impunity two years after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia

Two years after the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta, on 16 October 2019, we, the undersigned international free expression, anti-corruption, and journalists’ organisations, once again demand an end to impunity for this heinous attack. Six of our organisations, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), took part in an international freedom of expression mission to Malta one year ago, where, at the highest levels of government, we raised our profound concerns about this case and the broader worrying free expression environment in Malta – which has fallen 30 places over the past two years and is now…

EFJ welcomes PACE report on Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination

The failure of Maltese authorities to identify the masterminds behind the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia raises questions about the rule of law in Malta, according to a report adopted today in Paris by the Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). PACE appointed a Special Rapporteur on this matter, Pieter Omtzigt (EPP), who has compiled a report titled “Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination and the rule of law, in Malta and beyond: ensuring that the whole truth emerges”. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the adoption of this…

Council of Europe: #EndImpunity for crimes against journalists

Today, marking the ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’, the Safety of Journalists Platform launches a special page, which presents 16 cases of unsolved murders of journalists in the Council of Europe member states, as submitted by the partner organisations, including the European Federation of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists. These cases are listed on the platform as impunity for murders, highlighting deficiencies in investigations and failure to bring to justice all the perpetrators, the organisers or the masterminds of these crimes. The 16 cases are: Akhmednabi Akhmednabiyev (2013, Russian Federation); Mikhail Beketov (2013, Russian Federation); Hrant Dink (2007,…

#EndImpunity Campaign 2018 : Malta country report

On 16th October 2017, Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in a car bomb attack in the town of Bidnija, near her family home. One year on, impunity remains because of the lack of an independent public inquiry and the unwillingness of the Maltese government to take concrete action. In addition press freedom is worryingly threatened and is decreasing since Daphne was killed. Daphne Caruana Galizia was a prominent investigative journalist who published a blog since 2008, labelled Running Commentary, one of the most widely read websites in Malta. She revealed a lot of stories on corrupted politicians,…

Global coalition backs campaign for UN action on impunity

Journalists groups, editors, media owners and press freedom campaigners are joining forces today, 2 November, to demand urgent action by the United Nations to tackle impunity for crimes against journalists. With figures showing the number of killings of journalists rising in comparison to the same period last year and impunity in 9 out of 10 cases, the unprecedented coalition of professional journalists’ organisations is calling on UN member states to back media industry demands for a convention on the protection of journalists. Representatives of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the World Association of Newspapers (WAN-IFRA), the European Broadcasting Union…

A journalist killed: The pursuit of justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia, six months on

Please join the Right Honourable Tom Brake MP on Monday, 16th April from 6 to 7 pm in Committee Room 17 of the House of Commons for: A journalist killed: The pursuit of justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia, six months on Speakers: Paul Caruana Galizia, son of Daphne Caruana Galizia Rebecca Vincent, UK Bureau Director for Reporters Without Borders Maggie Murphy, Senior Global Advocacy Manager for Transparency International Moderated by Tom Brake MP On 16th October 2017, Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was tragically murdered by a car bomb. Caruana Galizia was a courageous investigative journalist whose reporting exposed corruption…

“Stop Hate, Stop Impunity”: EFJ Vice President writes letter from Russia

On 2 November 2017, the EFJ Vice President Nadezda Azgikhina wrote a letter from Russia. The letter focused on fighting against hate and impunity towards journalists. Here, the EFJ publishes this letter: The first conference devoted to Impunity in Russia took place just before the Moscow IFJ Congress in 2007. It focused mainly on the assassination of Anna Politkovskaya, the journalist murdered on 7 October 2006, and focused on other colleagues who were murdered too. For the first time, a list of deceased Russian journalists, prepared by Glasnost Defense Foundation, was presented to the international professional community. It consisted of…

The #EndImpunity campaign is going on: please don’t forget to contribute!

Today only one out of 10 killings in the media is investigated. Get involved in the IFJ #endimpunity campaign 2015, from 2 to 23 November 2015. Many thanks to contributors! #EndImpunity Remember the UN End of Impunity Day today @coe @Europarl_da @IFJGlobal https://t.co/BRjagQBYtw #journosafety #PressFreedom — Mogens B. Bjerregård (@mogensbb) November 2, 2015 IFJ launches 2015 global campaign to end impunity for crimes against journalists https://t.co/5PagHlA2ni pic.twitter.com/1ElMaSfN50 — Anthony Bellanger (@abellanger49) October 21, 2015 More than 700 journalists have been killed in the last 10 years. #EndImpunity https://t.co/tyLFaw1G0r pic.twitter.com/HuX8xrf5xq — UNESCO (@UNESCO) November 2, 2015 President @PutinRF_Eng, on @UN Day…