The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the undersigned press freedom and freedom of expression groups in strongly condemning the ongoing and intensifying threats against prominent Turkish journalist Murat Ağırel. We are deeply alarmed by the persistent pattern of intimidation, surveillance, and death threats targeting Ağırel, which represent a severe assault on press freedom and the safety of journalists in Turkey. These threats and acts of intimidation are not isolated incidents but part of a broader, systemic issue affecting press freedom in Turkey, where independent journalists frequently face significant risks in their pursuit of truth. We urgently call on the…

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium expresses its full support for Greek journalist Stavroula Poulimeni and media outlet Alterthess ahead of their appeal on 19 September 2024. Today’s hearing follows a court ruling that partially upheld a civil lawsuit demanding damages over Poulimeni’s report on the conviction of two Hellas Gold executives for water pollution – which were overturned in 2022, as the journalist also reported at the time.  In 2023, Alterthess was ordered to pay €3,000 to one of the company’s executives for reporting his court conviction in October 2020. The judge ruled that, despite the conviction being…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its Montenegrin affiliate, the Trade Union of Media in Montenegro (SMCG), express concerns about the way the Director-General of the Public Service RTCG has been elected on 31 August 2024. The organisations call on all relevant institutions, primarily the Labor Inspectorate, to take action as soon as possible to clarify the situation in which Boris Raonić has become the Director-General of the Public Service for the third time. The Montenegrin parliamentarians ignored the appeals sent to them before the adoption of the amendments to the Law on RTCG, which were related to the…

On 15 September, Belarusian journalist Andrei Mialeshka was denied entry to Georgia, where he has lived for the past three years after facing political persecution in Belarus. On 17 September, Armenian journalist Arsen Kharatyan, editor-in-chief of an independent non-profit bilingual Georgian-Armenia media platform Aliq Media based in Tbilisi, was also denied entry to Georgia. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) condemn the denial of entry of both journalists and call on the Georgian authorities to uphold freedom of access for all journalists. Andrei Mialeshka was returning from Poland to Georgia with his daughter and was barred from entering…

From 23 to 24 September 2024, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will be hosting a workshop entitled “Collective bargaining in though times” at the TGS Academy in Istanbul, as part of the Stand up for Journalism (SUJ) project. The workshop will address the different challenges related to collective bargaining, including the topics surrounding the digital age, with insightful speakers from all around Europe. This workshop is the first in a series of five 5 thematic, capacity-building workshops. The others will focus on online harassement and better protection of journalists, equal rights for freelancers, well-being and burnout in journalism and…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the warning letter sent this week by European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova to the Slovak authorities over the reform and political capture of the Slovak public broadcaster RTVS. The EFJ calls on the European Union to prepare infringement proceedings against Slovakia for non-compliance with Union law. On 30 June 2024, the Slovak President Peter Pellegrini enacted the new Law on Slovak Television and Radio, which entered into force on 1 July. Radio and Television Slovakia (RTVS) is changing to Slovak Television and Radio (STVR). In her letter to Slovak Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová,…

With the adoption of the European minimum wage directive in 2022, all European countries are obliged to promote collective bargaining. On 23-24 September, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will organise a workshop on collective bargaining in Istanbul as part of its Stand Up for Journalism (SUJ) project. The agenda of the workshop is availablehere. The European Union decided in 2022 to impose on its Member States a goal of 80% of collective bargaining coverage. The issue is that many of these countries still have a long way to go before they reach that percentage. For those who do not…

Negotiations between media companies Bauer Publishing House Poland and AKPA Agency, and union representatives from Inicjatywa Pracownicza (“Workers’ Initiative”) over pay rises and decent working conditions remain uncertain. The International and the European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) join its affiliate the German Journalists Union (dju) in ver.di in urging the management of the media group to address the union’s specific demands and ensure that the fundamental rights of the workers enshrined in Polish law are respected. Media companies Bauer Publishing House Poland and AKPA Agency, which is part of De Bauer Media Group Poland, a German international media group based…

The partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium today publish the latest edition of its Monitoring Report which documents and analyses all press freedom violations recorded on its platform Mapping Media Freedom in European Member States and candidate countries from January to June 2024. The report was produced by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and the International Press Institute (IPI). The latest Monitoring Report explores in detail the 756 media freedom violations recorded by the MFRR partners in the first half of 2024. These violations affected 1,212 media-related…

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) welcomes the 5 September ruling reopening the investigation into the crimes against journalist Emilia Șercan. This is a positive step towards addressing the harassment and intimidation she has faced for the last two years. This ruling comes after a long legal battle by Șercan to hold accountable those responsible for smear campaigns against her and leaking her private photos, following her reports on high-profile cases of plagiarism, including the President of the Romanian Senate, and former Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă.  The initial investigation produced a litany of errors, unnecessary delays, and breaches of procedure…

On 9 September, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) will begin a press freedom mission to Croatia. The delegation will meet with government representatives, journalists and journalistic associations, civil society, and renowned media experts to discuss the most pressing challenges to media freedom and pluralism in the country. Between 9 and 20 September 2024, the MFRR partners will conduct an online fact-finding mission to Croatia with a special focus on the safety of journalists, the long-overdue and much-needed media law reforms, transparency in media ownership and state advertising, the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) and other legal threats (including criminal…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the SafeJournalists network strongly condemned the threats against the journalist and editor-in-chief of the Morski.hr portal Jurica Gašpar, and called on the authorities to ensure justice by identifying and prosecuting the perpetrators. On 1 September 2024, the Morski.hr portal reported that after a business meeting in which the Croatian Association of Private Shippers negotiated an arrangement with the Public Relations agency of Ankica Mamić, a message appeared in the WhatsApp group “Shippers in the Adriatic” calling for the kidnapping of the editor of the portal, Jurica Gašpar, due to his critical reporting on…

At a time when workers are facing many challenges regarding their working conditions, they are increasingly developing solutions to join forces and fight for labor rights. One of the most effective solutions is the creation of works councils.  Despite a recurring opposition from tech employers, workers councils are multiplying all around Europe. They are essential tools implemented to strengthen a safer work culture in organisations as they allow workers to defend their rights within a specific company. Employees from works councils must be informed about the economic situation of the company and employers need to consult them for major layoffs…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins 30 civil society and journalists’ organisations to demand that the necessary regulatory measures against spyware threats are implemented by the EU institutions. A comprehensive approach and effective solutions are key to address this crucial issue for EU democratic values, public debate and healthy civic spaces. The coalition calls for the ban on the production, sale, and use of spyware during the new legislative term.  Read the full letter below:

The European and International Federation of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) and its Romanian affiliate FAIR MediaSind express alarming concern for both the public media sector and freelance media workers. In a letter sent to the Romanian authorities on 2 September, the federations urged the authorities to engage in open consultation and discussion with civil society and journalists’ unions and to ensure the fundamental rights of media workers and the sustainability of the media industry, including public support at arm’s length. The longstanding crisis in public media requires urgent action.

By EFJ President Maja Sever (originally published on Social Europe) The journalist Heba al-Abdallah was born in Khan Yunis in 1993. At Al-Azhar University, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Arabic language and media. The defence of her master’s thesis awaited. Heba was married and had a daughter, Judy. She was a news anchor and presenter at a radio station, collaborated with a university, and was on the board of directors of the Social Media Club in Palestine. She also worked on the working women’s file for the Subordinate Workers’ Movement. ‘These days are among the most difficult moments that a person…