The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned organisations in calling for the removal of the reported anti-LGBTQ+ provision from the 11th Judicial Package which would restrict and possibly criminalise media reporting on the community in Turkey. The draft of the 11th Judicial Package was shared with the members of the press last week and is expected to be submitted to Parliament in the coming days. Under the heading “Obscene acts,” the draft introduces a so-called “Turkish-style ban on homosexual propaganda.” It stipulates prison sentences of up to three years for any behavior or attitude that is “contrary to…

Voices, the European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom, returns to Florence at Teatro del Maggio Musicale on 10–12 March 2026. Following the success of its debut in Florence and the second edition in Zagreb, which drew more than 2,000 participants, the festival returns with renewed energy, building on what worked, sharpening its focus on media freedom, and raising the bar with new partners and formats. Following the new Florence edition, Voices will tour two more European cities, bringing the conversation closer to local communities. “What began as an ambitious idea — to create the First European Festival of Journalism…

On 10 October 2025, the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (SMCG) signed the Protocol on the Protection of Journalists with governments’ representatives (Supreme State Prosecutor, Ministers of Culture and Media, Justice, and the State Secretary at the Minister of Interior), media outlets/organisations and the Association of Local Public Broadcasters.  The Protocol aims to establish a comprehensive and coordinated institutional framework to ensure faster and more efficient responses to threats and attacks on journalists and media workers. The Mechanism will monitor and report incidents, provide legal and psychological assistance through a 24/7 contact line, and will provide mandatory training for…

Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti reported on 16 October that war correspondent Ivan Zuev was killed by a drone attack in the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region, southeastern Ukraine. The International and the European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) call for an independent investigation to determine the circumstances of Zuev’s death and remind warring parties to respect their obligation to protect media workers as civilians. Yuri Voitkevich, who also worked for Russian RIA Novosti, was seriously injured in the same attack and underwent surgery, the employer said. The IFJ and the EFJ call for an independent investigation into the killing of RIA…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the undersigned journalists and media freedom organisations in strongly condemning the car bomb attack on one of Italy’s leading investigative journalist and his family, Sigfrido Ranucci. We welcome the opening of an investigation by the Anti-Mafia Investigation Division and call for an urgent assessment of the effectiveness of the protective measures applied to the journalist. On 16 October 2025, at around 10 p.m. a bomb consisting of 1kg explosive detonated near the car of Rai journalist Sigfrido Ranucci in Pomezia, near Rome. The bomb went off 20 minutes after Ranucci’s daughter parked the…

On the eve of the anniversary of the murder of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins press freedom and journalists’ groups in calling on Malta to set up a national action plan on media freedom and journalist safety. Our organisations welcome the call by the Maltese authorities for public consultations on media freedom and are, in this paper, submitting a set of recommendations for consideration. The implementation of such recommendations would be an appropriate and meaningful way to continue to mark the life and legacy of Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was killed in a…

On 13 October 2025, Turkish journalist and environmental activist Hakan Tosun died from his injuries following a street assault by two individuals. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) join their Turkish affiliates the Turkiye Gazeteciler Sendikasi (TGS), the Türkiye Gazeteciler Cemiyeti (TGC) and DİSK Basın-İş in urging authorities to investigate whether the assault is connected to his work as a documentary filmmaker. Hakan Tosun was found unconscious after being attacked as he walked through the streets of Istanbul’s Esenyurt district on 11 October. According to CCTV footage published by Turkish media, Tosun was struck on the head by two…

Against the backdrop of a rapidly worsening media freedom crisis across the region, most prominently in Serbia, a coalition of international media freedom, journalists’ and freedom of expression organisations calls on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to raise the threats to the protection of journalists and media pluralism with the respective authorities during her visit to the Western Balkans this week (13-16 October).   Since October last year, our organisations have recorded extraordinary pressures on media freedom across the region. The abrupt shutdown of Al Jazeera Balkans, the intensifying political pressure on the N1 and Nova TV channels and…

The Central Election Commission of Kosovo (KQZ) rejected accreditation requests from Serbian and Albanian-language media outlets, as well as international media, ahead of the 12 October local elections. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its members the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS) and the Safe Journalists Network (SJN) in condemning a discriminatory decision that is violating media freedom and the right of citizens to receive information in an official language. According to information from the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK), dozens of Serbian-language outlets registered and operating in Kosovo were refused accreditation at a KQZ session. In addition,…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and undersigned organisations in strongly condemning the intensifying crackdown on Georgian journalists and press freedom defenders who continue to face institutional repression and physical attacks. As the Georgian Dream (GD) regime’s Prime Minister explicitly promises to stifle dissent, we reiterate our urgent call for the EU and the international community to respond forcefully to the ruling party’s clampdown on media and civil society. Media freedom in Georgia remains dire and continues to deteriorate. At least 11 journalists from both independent and government-controlled media were…

On 7 October 2025, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) met with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) at the EBU headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The two long-standing partners, committed to defending public service media across Europe,  discussed the need to strengthen their cooperation to address the unprecedented challenges facing public service media today. In a political environment marked by the growing presence of far-right parties in European governments, both organisations share deep concerns over increasing hostility towards public service media and journalism. Recognising the growing challenges faced by reporters covering conflicts, demonstrations and divisive topics such as politics, migration, climate,…

On 8 October 2025, Bulgaria’s parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee urgently approved, at first reading, amendments to the Criminal Code introduced by the “There Is Such a People” (ITN) party. The draft law proposes prison sentences and fines for the dissemination of information about a person’s “personal life” without their consent. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its Bulgarian affiliate AEJ-Bulgaria condemn this disproportionate restriction on journalists’ right to cover private matters that are in the public interest. We demand the outright withdrawal of these provisions, which contravene European legal standards. The proposal defines “personal life” broadly, covering personal, family,…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) extend their condolences to the family and relatives of French photojournalist Antoni Lallican, who was killed by a drone on Friday 3 October in Ukraine. The EFJ and IFJ condemn this war crime and calls on the authorities to launch an investigation to identify those responsible. This is the first time a journalist has been killed by a drone in Ukraine. The circumstances surrounding the incident, which occurred on Friday morning at 9:20 local time, near the eastern city of Druzhkivka, in the Donetsk region, remain under investigation. According to the Ukrainian Ground…

On 30 September 2025, at least four Serbian journalists were targeted with anonymous printed leaflets, which were distributed to private mailboxes and public spaces in Belgrade and other cities. The scale of this coordinated smear campaign is suspected to be significant, given the increasing number of cases being reported throughout the country. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) and their Serbian affiliates (GS KUM Nezavisnost, NUNS, UNS, and SINOS) urge the authorities to conduct immediate and thorough investigations into these threats, to identify, apprehend, and sanction the perpetrators. The printed leaflets describe each journalist as having ‘bloody hands’,…

On 30 September, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and 15 partner organizations wrote to leaders in Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic to call for a full or partial suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The agreement sets out the EU’s legal and institutional framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation with Israel. The European Commission recently proposed suspending “certain trade-related provisions” because of “a breach of essential elements relating to [the] respect for human rights and democratic principles.” Now EU member states must decide whether to go ahead. However, some EU member…

Following a three-day mission to Sofia between 24-26 September, a coalition of international journalists and press freedom organisations, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), concluded that progress is needed to prevent and prosecute attacks on journalists, resolve the ongoing dispute over the leadership of the public broadcaster, guarantee the independence of the Council for Electronic Media (CEM) and pass anti-SLAPP legislation. Despite the important work of key journalist associations, there is a low level of solidarity within the journalistic profession. The mission, organised by the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) also found that Bulgaria…