Poland: Media pluralism greatly endangered by oil firm’s Polska Press takeover

A long-awaited drive by Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party to bring independent media to heel has started with the planned purchase by Orlen, a state-controlled petro chemical giant, of Polska Press, owned by Germany’s Passauer capital group which has dominated regional newspapers and magazines for over a quarter of a century. The deal announced on December 7 still has to be approved by Poland’s competition authority which is beholden to the government and the deal whose value has yet to be announced is expected to be completed early next year. Polska Press owns 20 out of 24 regional newspapers,…

Turkish court sentenced journalist Ayşegül Doğan to over 6 years in prison

Ayşegül Doğan has become the latest journalist in Turkey who was sentenced to prison by a court in a controversial case condemned by human rights groups. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has condemned the court’s decision. The 9th Penal Court in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır convicted Doğan on 7 December for “establishing and managing an armed organisation”, sentencing her to six years and three months in prison. The prosecutor had initially requested the court to sentence Doğan to 22.5 years in prison. “This decision shows that the court still sees journalists as terrorists,” said Mustafa Kuleli, EFJ Steering Committee…

Montenegro: The new government must prioritise and uphold press and media freedom

As Montenegro’s new coalition government under the leadership of Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić was formally approved by the Montenegrin Parliament on 4 December, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) and key partners, urge it to put press and media freedom high on its agenda. The detailed report from their virtual fact-finding mission raises a number of concerns. To advance media freedom and, ultimately, the country’s accession bid to the European Union (EU), the new administration must commit to the necessary reforms for building and maintaining a free and pluralist media landscape. This is a…

Albania: Police attack and arrest journalists covering protests

Four journalists were arrested on 11 and 12 December while covering protests against the murder of Klodian Rasha in Tirana. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Association of Professional Journalists of Albania (APJA) strongly condemn the harassment and arbitrary arrest of media workers who were reporting on a public event. The protests erupted after Klodian Rasha, a 25 years-old Albanian citizen, was killed by a police officer on 8 December. He had been out after curfew and ran away from the police. Rasha was shot twice in the back and the officer alleged he had carried a firearm, which Rasha’s…

Malta: Threats to independence of public inquiry into assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia must stop

16 December 2020 marks 38 months since Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in Malta, yet barriers to justice remain. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) together with the undersigned organisations condemns the continued threats made by the Maltese Government against the independent public inquiry into the circumstances of the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, and its three board members. The independence of the inquiry is vital and we call on the Government to uphold its commitments under the European Convention on Human Rights and ensure the inquiry is supported to fulfil its Terms of Reference free from all political threats…

Campaign: Journalists are #EssentialWorkers

During the health crisis, journalists have been playing a crucial role. When most of us are required to stay home, they act as our eyes and ears on the ground bringing trustworthy and reliable information to us. Yet, in some European countries journalists are still not considered as essential workers impeding their ability to work. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) launched, in partnership with its affiliates in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey, a social media campaign to raise awareness about the need to regard journalists as essential workers.  In the region, the COVID-19 pandemic meant for…

WPFC: EFJ calls for real commitment from European countries signing up to protection for journalists

On Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 December, ministers from close to 60 countries, including 33 European countries (1), are taking part in the Unesco World Press Freedom Conference (WPFC), at the invitation of the Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok. This is the first time in the history of the WPFC that a session gathers 56 foreign affairs ministers from around the world. On Wednesday they discussed topics like how to tackle violence against journalists, photographers and media workers more effectively. All participating countries will confirm the agreements they reach in a final declaration, The Hague Commitment to increase the Safety…

Croatia: Smear campaign against journalist Anja Kožul, protection needed

As part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the International Press Institute (IPI) and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) condemn the smear campaign against Croatian journalist Anja Kožul and call for her protection. Kožul works for Novosti, a Croatian and Serbian-language weekly magazine published by the Serb National Council (SNV) in Croatia, which covers issues related to the Serb community in the country.  She has been exposed to numerous threats, insults and attacks coming from Serbia since 1 December. The hate campaign started after she published an article entitled…

EFJ condemns the harassment campaign targeting journalist Arzu Geybulla

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemns the online harassment campaign targeting Azerbaijani journalist Arzu Geybulla, unjustly accused of betraying her country for taking a measured and journalistic stance in the face of the recent armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Azerbaijani journalist Arzu Geybulla has been the target of an online harassment campaign following the publication of an opinion article about her on the online portal AzLogos, a platform managed by Azerbaijanis living abroad. The article alleges that the journalist disrespected the martyrs of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, accusing her of deliberately mocking the minute of silence…