Greece: SLAPP award winner Grigoris Dimitriadis urged to drop defamation lawsuit

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined partner media freedom and journalist organisations in writing to Grigoris Dimitriadis, the former general secretary of the office of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, about SLAPP lawsuits he filed against investigative media and journalists.   RE: Letter from international press freedom organisations 21 October 2022 Dear Grigoris Dimitriadis,   The undersigned international media freedom and journalists organisations are writing to you to express our shared concern about defamation claims filed against investigative journalists and media outlets following your resignation from the role of general secretary in the office of the Greek Prime Minister in…

Bosnia and Herzegovina: National and religion hatred online needs to be better investigated

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the Steering Committee of the BH Journalists Association (BHJA) in expressing worries and indignation in the face of the rise of hate speech and national and religion hatred online. In the last couple of weeks, Bosnian journalists Dalija Hasanbegović Konaković, journalist for Al-Jazeera Balkans, and Vladimir Trišić, owner and director of BN Television and its employees, have been the victims of unjustified and heinous attacks online, targeting not only them but sometimes their close family. In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, journalist Dalija Hasanbegović Konaković and members of her immediate family were targeted by social…

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Germany: Where are the statistics on violence against media workers?

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the German Journalists’ Association (DJV) in calling for the Federal Criminal Investigation Office (BKA) to conduct criminal statistics on violence against media workers. While data on violence against police forces has been collected in Germany since the 1950s, verbal, physical and digital attacks on journalists are not recorded separately by the BKA. However, based on the data provided by 16 regional criminal investigation offices compiled in the annual police crime statistics, a model on what the survey could look like exists. “Journalists are increasingly exposed to violent attacks. We experience insults, threats and physical attacks with…