Media freedom in Croatia is facing turbulent times with excessive political influence, concluded by an international mission in a report published on 9 August.  The report published by the International Press Institute (IPI) highlighted that the political crisis in the country has put journalists and media freedom at risk resulting in the lack of independence of public media, increase in legal restrictions and physical attacks on journalists. The report listed a series of findings from the international mission back in June 21 – 23 carried out by the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO). The mission included representatives from the…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is shocked by the decision of the public prosecutor on 2 August  to open a counter-appeal against Antoine Deltour, Raphaël Halet and Edouard Perrin, the two whistleblowers and the journalist involved in the so-called ‘‘LuxLeaks scandal’’. The EFJ and its French affiliates the Syndicat National des Journalistes (SNJ) and the SNJ-CGT believe the appeal is targeting at the investigative journalist Edouard Perrin who was set free by the court in June. Mogens Blicher Bjerregard, the EFJ President said, ‘‘it is unbelievable that the government is determined to use more public resources in order to pursue Perrin who was acted in the public…

The European Federation of Journalists is strongly opposed to restrictions on foreign broadcasters in Moldova. The amendments to the Audio-visual Code under consideration by the Parliament in Moldova run counter to international standards on media freedom. On 7 July, the Parliament adopted, in the first reading, amendments to the Audio-visual Code of the Republic of Moldova. The amendments proposed by the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party, members of the ruling coalition, aim to limit broadcasts in foreign languages or those originating from abroad. Ricardo Gutiérrez, the EFJ general secretary, participated to a public debate organised by the chairman of the Parliament…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has joined an international alliance of human-rights organisations, journalists’ associations and media, to protect foreign journalists from surveillance by the German Federal Intelligence Agency (Bundesnachrichtendienst –BND). The campaign, launched on 4 August by Reporters without Borders, aims to include in the revised BND law a clause protecting journalists. The signatories of the appeal consider the global mass surveillance by the BND to be a violation of human rights and they regard the surveillance of foreign journalists in particular as a serious encroachment on press freedom worldwide. A multi-lingual online petition is available for signature.…

Violence against journalists in Europe increased in the second quarter of 2016, reports submitted to Index on Censorship’s Mapping Media Freedom platform show, as a government crackdown in Turkey intensified and protests turned violent in countries from France to Finland. Between 1 April and 30 June 2016, Mapping Media Freedom’s network of 18 correspondents and other journalists submitted a total of 341 verified reports of violations of press freedom to the database, a 13% rise over the first quarter of 2016. The platform — a joint undertaking with the European Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, partially funded by the European Commission…

The European and International Federation of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) condemn the violence used by police forces against journalists covering a demonstration in Yerevan, Armenia, on 29 July. At least ten journalists suffered burns, bruises and injuries. The media workers injured in the latest clashes include three journalists of Radio Liberty’s Armenian service Karlen Aslanyan, Hovhannes Movsisyan and Garik Harutiunian; journalists of CivilNet and A1+ TV; journalists of 1in.am website Mariam Grigoryan and cameraman David Harutyunyan; the correspondent of Armenia TV Aghvan Asoyan and cameraman Albert Galstyan; the journalist of Lragir.am Marut Vanyan; and the cameraman of the Russian Life TV, according to local media reports. The director of…

 The European and International Federation of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) launched a solidarity campaign with the Turkish journalists following the new attacks on press freedom and human rights in Turkey since the coup attempt on 15 July. We invite EFJ/IFJ affiliates and partners to help the Turkish colleagues by: sending a letter to the Turkish ambassador in your country and/or your national government (sample letters enclosed) sending a contribution to the IFJ Safety Fund in order to support individual requests from Turkey (Bank account BE64 2100 7857 0052; Swift Code GEBABEBB; communication “Solidarity Turkey”) sharing in your social media and website the visual “Did you…

Three Turkish journalists from Zaman Media Group were at the EFJ/IFJ offices on Friday 29 July to seek international help in response to current media crackdown in Turkey. The journalists included Selçuk Gültaşlı, a correspondent for former Zaman Media Group in Belgium, Sevgi Akarçeşme, editor-in-chief for former Today’s Zaman, and Mete Öztürk, editor-in-chief of former Zaman Belçika and Zaman Vandaag. By Friday 29 July, the number of arrests warrants delivered against journalists has grown to 89 arrest warrants. The IFJ/EFJ has registered over 60 journalists detained. The newspaper, ZAMAN, and its English version Today’s Zaman were among the first media to…

This list is no longer updated. Please now refer to this list. The EFJ and the IFJ listed 101 journalists and media workers/owners detained since the coup attempt (15 July) in Turkey: source: European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and affiliates list updated on: 13 October 2016 you can submit a new alert (arrest or release) HERE   İbrahim Balta (Zaman, arrested) Seyit Kılıç (former TRT) Bayram Kaya (Yeni Hayat, arrested) Cihan Acar (Bugün, arrested) Hanım Büşra Erdal (Zaman) Zeynel Abidin Bulut (Azadiya Welat, arrested) Zehra Dogan (JINHA, arrested) Sahin Alpay (former Zaman, arrested) Ali Bulaç (former Zaman, arrested) Mümtazer Türköne (former Zaman) Zafer…

Updated 28.07.2016. As arrests of journalists and media closure continue, the European and the International Federation of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) call on the European Union to take additional steps to hold Turkish president Erdogan accountable for press freedom breaches.   Since the coup aimed at toppling President Erdogan failed on 16 July, the EFJ and IFJ have been alerting on the number of arrests of journalists and media closure for being allegedly  associated with the pro-Gülen movement accused of being behind the failed coup.   The situation came to a point where local media’s fear to be arrested is leading to an increasing…

UPDATED 27.07.16 An ongoing crackdown on the media in Turkey has led to the arrests of more journalists and raids on their homes. The International and the European Federation of journalists (IFJ/EFJ) today denounced the deterioration of democratic rule, of which press freedom is one of the pillars. On 22 July, Zehra Dogan, painter and editor at women’s news agency JINHA, was arrested by police in Mardin, south-east of Turkey. She was taken to the Nusaybin police office the following day. During the interrogation, she was accused of “being a member of the terrorist organisation PKK.” The anti-terror prosecutor Irfan…

Journalists at Greece’s Alpha 989 radio station are to meet to consider action following the “unfair, illegal and abusive” dismissal of their union representative. The International and European Federations of Journalists have pledged their support to Greek affiliate JUADN following the sacking of Georgia Ioannidou. The union had given the radio station’s board a deadline to reinstate Georgia, who is also a board member of JUADN, but the company failed to act. In a statement the union said: “Our colleague has been targeted for being a union representative and her persistence in taking up issues with the personnel department such…

A prominent journalist specialising in relations between Russia and Ukraine, Pavel Sheremet, has been murdered today by a car bomb in Kiev. The International Federation of Journalists and European Federation of Journalists, have joined affiliates in Ukraine and Russia, in condemning the killing. Pavel Sheremet, who worked for the Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper and radio Vesti died when the car he was driving exploded shortly after it started, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office. He was heading to the radio’s office to host his morning show. Some reports claim the car belonged to his employer, Alyona Pritula, the founder and chief editor of…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its French affiliates, the Syndicat national des journalistes (SNJ) and the Syndicat national des journalistes-CGT (SNJ-CGT), to denounce the last-minute amendment voted on Monday 18 July by the National Assembly, to restrict journalists’ protection of sources, only a few days following the Nice attack. Submitted a few hours before the new reading of the proposal to strengthen the freedom, independence and pluralism of the media, the amendment foresees to restrict the protection of journalists’ sources when they violate the “secret of national defence” and “the fundamental interests of the Nation.” This extension is considered “indispensable” because of…

Attacks targeting the media in Turkey have led the International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) to alert the Council of Europe about a series of new press freedom violations. The federations are calling on the International and European communities to take concrete steps against the Turkish government’s assaults on fundamental human rights that are contrary to international and European conventions. Mustafa Cambaz, a photojournalist for the Turkish Daily Yeni Safak was killed during the attempted coup in Turkey on 15 July. In the early hours of Saturday 16 July, Turkish soldiers who attempted to overthrow the government seized control…

The EFJ newsletter, EFJ Focus, is available in English, French and German.   EDITORIAL Dialogue with publishers I was invited by the European Magazine Media Association to attend a conference about the evolution of media and threats to press freedom on 30 June in Wroclaw, Poland. Following the conference, I also held several informal meetings with other publishers in the media and engaged in dialogue on issues of common interests.We share some common interests with publishers such as the increasing threats to press freedom while we have our differences such as collective bargaining. But we all face big challenges and it requires us to work together whenever possible. Such as…