The legal harassment against Serbian investigative media outlet KRIK continues as the portal was convicted for reporting on a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) case it was facing, at the same time as a new abusive lawsuit has been filed against it. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned organisations in standing in solidarity with KRIK’s newsroom, which is currently fighting 12 legal proceedings, and raising the alarm about the use of SLAPPs in Serbia, considered a growing threat to independent journalism. In recent months, KRIK has been facing multiple lawsuits as a result of public interest…

Following today’s acquittal of the suspected mastermind in the killing of Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned international media freedom organisations in expressing our profound disappointment, renewing our calls for justice and conveying our steadfast solidarity with the families of Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová. This acquittal of businessman Marian Kočner, which was announced earlier today following a retrial at the Specialized Criminal Court, represents another devastating blow to the fight for full justice for Ján and Martina’s killing. The judges voted 2:1 to find Kočner not guilty of ordering the…

A new CEO, Roberto Sergio, has been appointed at the Italian public broadcaster RAI on 15 May 2022, following the resignation of Carlo Fuortes and various political pressure on journalists. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Italian affiliates, the FNSI and USIGRai, in denouncing a political takeover of RAI, which seriously endangers the public broadcaster’s independence. On Monday 8 May, the head of Italy’s public broadcasting group RAI, Carlo Fuortes, appointed by the previous government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi, announced his resignation. Fuortes justified his departure by saying that he was being pressured by his supervisory authorities.…

Following a visit to Belgrade on April 10 and 11 2023 to commemorate the murder anniversary of editor and publisher Slavko Ćuruvija, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the undersigned international press freedom and journalists’ organisations in issuing a stark warning over the state of media freedom and journalists’ safety in Serbia. Ahead of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, our shared conclusion is that 24 years after the murder of Ćuruvija in 1999, poor conditions for the safety of journalists, the weak landscape for the rule of law, media capture and a festering climate of hostility towards critical reporting mean that the…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined media freedom, freedom of expression, and human rights organisations in calling on Turkish authorities to stop the systematic harassment and intimidation of Kurdish journalists, media workers, media outlets, the lawyers that defend them, and Kurdish political party officials, give them access to legal counsel, disclose full details of charges brought and to ensure that they are released from detention. We reiterate the need for a free and pluralistic media atmosphere in the run-up to the elections that will be held on 14 May 2023. On 25 April, coordinated dawn raids in Turkey targeted…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today in expressing dismay over the recent court ruling involving a SLAPP lawsuit against independent Greek media outlet Alterthess and one of its journalists, Stavroula Poulimeni. Using the MFRR Legal Support fund, our consortium will help provide funding to cover legal fees for their appeal. In early 2023, a court in Athens partially accepted the civil lawsuit filed by the former high-ranking executive of a gold mining company, Hellas Gold, and ordered the cooperative media outlet to pay a total of €3,000 in…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response and 20 press freedom, freedom of expression and human rights organisations in calling on Turkey’s broadcast regulator (RTÜK) to immediately stop fining broadcasters for their critical reporting. Journalists and broadcasters must be allowed to do their jobs of informing the public over critical issues and holding the government to account. Instead of upholding freedom of expression and media pluralism in the country, RTÜK is being weaponised by the governing parties to silence legitimate criticism and provide them with an unfair advantage in the May 2023…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today in denouncing the arson attack on the family car of Italian freelance journalist Rossella Puccio in the city of Palermo and expressing solidarity with the reporter. The targeted attack happened during the night of April 3, while the journalist’s family car was parked in a public area in the Sferracavallo district of the city. Footage captured by a nearby CCTV camera showed a man approach the vehicle, pour liquid from a bottle over the car and light it on fire. The car was…