The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ and IFJ) have today condemned the sentencing of two prominent Turkish journalists to two years behind bars for illustrating their columns with a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed published by French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. Journalists Ceyda Karan and Hikmet Çetinkaya, from the independent Cumhuriyet daily, were sentenced to two years each in jail by an Istanbul criminal court today. They went on trial in January last year on charges of “inciting public hatred” and “insulting religious values” after illustrating their columns with the controversial cartoon. Bulent Utku, lawyer for Hikmet Çetinkaya and…

Ukrainian freelancer Mikola Semena was today summoned for questioning in Crimea following charges of making calls to separatism and undermining Russia’s territorial integrity. If found guilty, he could face five years in prison. The International and European Federations of Journalists join their Ukrainian affiliates, the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine (IMTUU) and the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), in urging the Russian authorities to drop the unfounded charges against Semena. On 19 April, the Federal Security Service (FSB) agents in the region of Crimea raided and searched the house of Semena, confiscated his reporting equipment and briefly detained…

The General Meeting of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) on 25 & 26 April, 2016 adopted a series of resolutions and statements.   Download  Resolutions Resolutions 2016 by European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) Statements Statements 2016 Sarajevos by European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has elected its new Steering Committee for 2016-2019 during its General Meeting in Sarajevo on 25 and 26 of April.   PRESIDENT       Mogens BLICHER BJERREGARD Danish Journalists’ Union (DJ), Denmark  VICE-PRESIDENT     Nadezda AZGIKHINA Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ), Russia SC MEMBERS John BARSBY National Union of Journalists (NUJ), United Kingdom   Andreas BITTNER  German Federation of Journalists (DJV), Germany   Marijana CAMOVIC  Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM), Montenegro Anna DEL FREO  Italian National Press Federation (FNSI), Italy Yannis KOTSIFOS  Journalists’ Union of Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers (ESIEMTH), Greece…

How can Public Service Media contribute in a positive way to the refugee crisis? This was the question asked by Nicola Frank, European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Head of European affairs, during the discussion organised by the EBU yesterday (April 27), where the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) was invited. Information for and about refugees are two sides of the same coin: on the one hand, newcomers need to have access of basic information when arriving in a host country. On the other hand, local residents need to better understand the stories of these refugees. Informing both sides is essential for social cohesion and…