The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joined its affiliate in Belarus, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) in demanding the release of four journalists sent to jail just for doing their job. On 11 and 12 May, courts of Mahilou and Hlybokaye, in Belarus, sentenced four journalists, all of them BAJ members, Ales Asiptsou, Mikhail Arshynski, Alexander Burakou and Zmitser Lupach to 10 days of administrative arrest for alleged “participation in unauthorized protests”. They were in fact just covering these demonstrations for their media. Today, the Leninski District Court announced its decision in the case of Alexander Burakou: 10…

The European and International Federations of journalists (EFJ/IFJ) strongly condemned the smear campaign taking place in the streets of Athens against four sport journalists and union members. Around 10 000 posters featuring photos and names of the four journalists were plastered in the early hours of the morning in the streets across Athens on 6 May. Insulting words against the journalists such as “slanderers“, “shameful for 10 euros“, “impostors” were printed on the posters. Three of the targeted journalists are members of Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers (JUADN), and IFJ/EFJ affiliate while the fourth is a member of the…