The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners, and other media freedom, journalist and freedom of expression organisations in condemning the arrest and deportation of Afgan Sadygov, founder of Azerbaijani news outlet and youtube channel Azel.tv from Georgia to Azerbaijan. Sadygov’s deportation constitutes a blatant violation of Georgia’s commitments under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and demands strong international condemnation. Sadygov was deported on 5 April following his arrest at his home in Tbilisi the previous night on charges of “insulting police” on social media. The deportation verdict was made by a judge…

Over 500 organisations representing Europe’s cultural and creative sectors, independent media and journalism, civil society and democracy actors have signed an urgent joint letter addressed to EU leadership. The letter calls for a substantial increase in funding for the AgoraEU programme in the next long-term EU budget (2028-2034), envisaged as a dedicated funding instrument for culture, independent media and journalism, audiovisual media, and civil society organisations. Despite its strategic importance, the programme currently represents only approximately 0.43% of the total EU budget — a level the coalition considers insufficient to match the scale of the challenges facing these sectors. Europe…

At 7 pm today, N1 Television employees and the Coalition for Media Freedom, including the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) and Nezavisnost, will gather outside the building to show solidarity with Igor Božić, who was recently removed from his position as News Director. Igor Božić is currently unassigned pending a final decision on his status by the Management Board.  The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Serbian members in strongly condemning the dismissal of Igor Božić who has worked tirelessly in recent years to ensure independent news coverage, despite mounting political pressure. His eviction which follows the…

On 30 March, Prisma Media’s management announced that it was cutting 40% of its workforce. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) have joined their affiliates SNJ, SNJ-CGT and CFDT-journalistes in condemning this as “a bloodbath”. The news came suddenly on 30 March: the management of Prisma Media (Capital, Télé-Loisirs, GEO, Voici, Femme Actuelle…), France’s leading magazine publisher, announced a new – and wrongly named – ‘job protection plan’ (PSE) of unprecedented severity. In total, 261 jobs are at risk of being cut, representing nearly 40% of the company’s total workforce. This plan follows a collective termination agreement in…

On 30 March 2026, the Federation of Culture and Mass-Media FAIR-MediaSind notified the European Commission and European Parliament of repeated violations of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) by the Romanian government. The European and the International Federation of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) fully support their affiliate’s request to initiate dialogue with Romanian authorities and assess the country’s compliance with the Regulation. Although the EMFA entered into force on 8 August 2025 and is directly applicable in all Member States, the government led by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan has failed to implement key provisions of the regulation establishing a common framework for…

Media freedom in Serbia remains trapped in a downward spiral amidst record levels of physical violence against journalists, death threats and online smear campaigns, alarming levels of impunity, and tight political control over the media landscape, a coalition of media freedom organisations concluded. Following a two-day mission to Belgrade on 26-27 March, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its partner organisations of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) assessed that the past year had seen a continued deterioration, leaving the country in a prolonged and worsening press freedom…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) concluded its Stand Up for Journalism (SUJ) project with a final conference co-organised by the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) on 26-27 March in Podgorica. Nearly 50 journalists and journalists’ representatives gathered to build on the project’s achievements and look ahead. The conference placed the younger generation at its heart, giving center stage to their voices and perspectives. Young journalists openly discussed their visions for the future of the profession, as well as the challenges they face in today’s working conditions. A particular focus was placed on journalists from the Balkan region,…

During the local elections in Serbia on 29 March, multiple obstructions and physical attacks on journalists by unknown individuals were documented in 10 cities and municipalities, despite them being identified as press. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) strongly condemn the violence inflicted on journalists and urgently call on law enforcement and prosecutors to promptly identify and arrest those responsible for these attacks. Among the journalists violently assaulted in Bajina Bašta was Darko Gligorijevic, a journalist for Zoomer. Unknown individuals first tried to take his mobile phone, after which he was hit in the head…

Hungary’s most renowned investigative journalist, Szabolcs Panyi, faces politically motivated espionage charges after revealing Russian interference in Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s election campaign. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in standing in solidarity with Szabolcs Panyi and denouncing another dangerous step toward Orbán’s authoritarian rule in the run-up to the April 12 elections. On 26 March 2026, the Hungarian government said it intended to file a criminal complaint against Panyi, a journalist for VSquare and Direkt36, accusing him of spying for Ukraine. The espionage accusations surfaced just as the…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in calling on the European Commission and EU Member States to ensure that the governance and operational structure of the new European Centre for Democratic Resilience (ECDR) is anchored in a genuine whole-of-society approach, stronger coordination across existing EU instruments, and robust safeguards for fundamental rights, media freedom and democratic pluralism. The ECDR should not just become another hub, but an effective EU coordination and exchange mechanism that seeks to protect democratic resilience holistically and is of added value to already existing initiatives.…

In a letter to the European Institutions, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined other press freedom, freedom of expression, journalists’ and human rights organisations, in calling for the establishment of a targeted “visa corridor” for recognised media professionals and those holding international press memberships. The undersigned organisations are writing following the recent press freedom mission to Türkiye by International Press Institute and a coalition of seven other international organisations, addressing an urgent matter that was raised repeatedly during meetings with media stakeholders in the country: the critical contradiction between the European Union’s commitment to support independent media in candidate states…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the undersigned international media and journalists’ organisations in expressing concerns by the direction of current discussions in Czechia regarding the future of public service media funding. The ruling coalition has announced its intention to submit a parliamentary bill proposing a significant reduction in licence fee contributions – excluding roughly a quarter of all Czech households (seniors over 75, people with disabilities, dependent young people under 26) along with more than 17,000 businesses from payment. Proposals to abolish the inflation clause also cause a concern as indexation ensures…

Media freedom in Kosovo has experienced a period of decline since 2023 amidst a series of negative developments, which calls for immediate political action by the government, an international media freedom mission including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) concluded today. Following a two-day visit to Pristina by a coalition of media freedom organisations as part of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists, the delegation found that a stable level of media freedom in the aspiring European Union accession country has been replaced by a period of deterioration over the past three years. While Kosovo has…

Over the past month, the Centre for Social Stability, a non-governmental organisation known for targeting independent journalists, intensified its ongoing smear campaign against Veran Matić, President of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and member of the Permanent Working Group on the Safety of Journalists. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) strongly condemns these shameful attacks and calls on Serbian authorities to respond promptly by launching an investigation into the Center for Social Stability. On 18 March 2026, the Centre for Social Stability incited hostility towards ANEM President  Veran Matić on its social media, with a declaration dangerously echoing…

On 26-27 March 2026, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will join its partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and of the Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists, to conduct a mission to Serbia. Against the backdrop of ongoing challenges to media pluralism and increasing attacks and pressure on independent journalists – particularly in the wake of nationwide protests following the Novi Sad tragedy on 1 November 2024 – as highlighted by the recently launched 2025 Europe Press Freedom report of the CoE Platform partners, and the 2025  MFRR Monitoring…