The European Federation of Journalists today joined its partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in urging the Greek government to withdraw proposed amendments which would introduce fines and jail sentences for journalists found guilty of publishing “false news”. We believe the draft law’s vague definition and punitive sanctions would undermine the freedom of the press and have a chilling effect at a time when independent journalism is already under pressure in Greece. The proposed amendments to Article 191 of the Civil Code, brought forward by the Ministry of Justice, would include penalties for those found guilty of disseminating…

Speech by Mogens Blicher Bjerregård (EFJ President) on 8 October 2021:  Welcoming you all to the EFJ Annual Meeting 2021 in Zagreb, Croatia, we will start with the great news of today that the Nobel Peace Prize winner this year is press freedom and journalism. Maria Ressa, one of the most courageous and prominent investigative journalists from the Philippines, and the editor-in-chief of an independent newspaper in Russia, Dmitry Muratov, are the well-deserved announced winners, and this will have an enormous impact on press freedom. Choosing the editor-in-chief at Novaja Gazeta, where Anna Politkovskaya and other killed journalists worked, is extremely important.…

Between 14 and 16 October, the General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) as well as representatives of the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), ARTICLE 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) will visit Malta to meet with members of the Maltese Government, civil society representatives, journalists, and other key stakeholders. The mission takes place four years after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, on 16 October 2017. Despite modest progress in some areas, the ongoing impunity for the brutal murder and broader systemic failings continue to negatively impact Malta’s press…