The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) yesterday sent an observer to Istanbul to monitor the first trial against journalists accused of participating in the 15 failed coup of last July. The trial, which may shed light on how the courts will approach numerous cases concerning the right to freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial under the state of emergency, has amplified international concerns over press freedom in Turkey. Raffaele Lorusso, General Secretary of the affiliate Federazione Nazionale della Stampa Italiana (FNSI) and an IFJ Executive Committee member, yesterday attended the trial of…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) join a coalition of freedom of expression organisations and journalists’ organisations urging OSCE Participating States to urgently appoint a new Representative on Freedom of the Media. The Representative on Freedom of the Media is an independent OSCE Institution, holding a unique mandate to protect and promote media freedom in all 57 OSCE participating States. The former mandate holder, Dunja Mijatović, left Office on 10 March 2017. There has been no announcement of her successor since. Continued failure to appoint a successor will weaken protections for freedom of…