The Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović condemned today the worsening situation with media freedom and safety of journalists in areas not controlled by the Ukrainian government. This comment followed the recent report by OSCE Chief Monitor, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, where among others he spoke about the limitation of freedom of expression in the region. The OSCE Chief Monitor mentioned ban of over 350 websites and restrictions against Ukrainian media outlets. Mijatović noted that threats and intimidation of media workers along with the arrest of bloggers Eduard Nedelyaev and Gennadiy Benitskiy are particular worrying cases. She added: Access…

Safety of Journalists: an imperative for free media Conference co-organised by Ukrainian MFA, OSCE, Council of Europe, UNESCO, Institute for Mass Information. The general secretary of the EFJ Ricardo Gutiérrez will attend the meeting. He will present the outcomes of the Council of Europe Platform for the protection of journalism and the safety of journalists. Draft agenda: 09.00-09.30 Registration 09.30-10.15 Opening remarks (Moderator:  Mariana Betsa) Sergiy Kyslytsya, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Svyatoslav Tsegolko, Administration of the President of Ukraine Vaidotas Verba, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine Dunja Mijatović, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Mårten Ehnberg, Head of the…

On 12 January, the National Radio and TV Council (NRTC) of Ukraine voted unanimously to cease the retransmission of the Russian TV Channel Dozhd (Rain), following TV reports showing Crimea as part of Russia. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins today the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović in condemning this decision, which will have harmful consequences for media pluralism in Ukraine. Decision of @NacRada to stop broadcasting @tvrain DozhdTV very demaging for media pluralism in #Ukraine https://t.co/cdT4mmMLna @OSCE_RFoM — Dunja Mijatovic (@Dunja_Mijatovic) January 12, 2017 According to a press release posted on the council’s website,…

Organisers: Presidential Administration of Ukraine Council on protection of journalistic activity and freedom of speech (under the President of Ukraine) Parliamentary Committee on freedom of speech and information policy Ministry of Information Policy CSO “Institute of Mass Information” Council of Europe Project “Strengthening freedom of the media and establishing a public broadcasting system in Ukraine” Background and rationale Safety of journalists is a very important issue for Ukraine, especially after the appalling murder of journalist Pavlo Sheremet in Kyiv in July. Generally there was a splash of violence against journalists in Ukraine in 2016 which was recorded by Ukrainian and…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (FEJ/FIJ) have backed calls for Ukrainian reporter Roman Sushchenko to be freed following his arrest on 30 September in Moscow on charges of spying. News of his arrest last Friday only emerged after his family expressed concerns that he had not been in touch for two days and after he was spotted in Lefortovo Prison in Moscow by a human rights monitoring group. Neither the embassy nor his family had been informed. According to reports from NGO Open Russia, 47-year-old Roman Sushchenko, who has worked for Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform since 2002, told…

The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) are backing demands by striking journalists in Ukraine for their rights to be protected during the privatisation of their newspaper as they took their struggle to the President’s door. Staff at daily newspaper Vilnym Shliakhom in Kivertsi today protested at the gates of the Presidential administration, having already staged 10 days of strike action in protest at the failure of the authorities to protect their rights during the reorganisation. The strike by members of IFJ/EFJ affiliates the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine (IMTUU) and the National Union of Journalists…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) joined on 5 September their Ukrainian affiliates in condemning an arson attack that set ablaze the headquarters of private broadcaster Inter TV private broadcaster headquarters in Kiev, Ukraine. Reports said that a group of around 20 activists staged a rally yesterday in front of Inter TV’s building, set tyres on fire and threw a smoke bomb into the premises, causing a fire which damaged the first and second floor. The Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine (IMTUU), an EFJ/IFJ affiliate, reported that one of its members, Inter TV journalist Olena Zorina, seriously injured…

A prominent journalist specialising in relations between Russia and Ukraine, Pavel Sheremet, has been murdered today by a car bomb in Kiev. The International Federation of Journalists and European Federation of Journalists, have joined affiliates in Ukraine and Russia, in condemning the killing. Pavel Sheremet, who worked for the Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper and radio Vesti died when the car he was driving exploded shortly after it started, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office. He was heading to the radio’s office to host his morning show. Some reports claim the car belonged to his employer, Alyona Pritula, the founder and chief editor of…

A Ukrainian organisation working on national security published thousands of personal details of journalists on its website on 7 May claiming the journalists had accreditation with pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukraine. It further accused them of ‘co-operating with terrorist organisations’ and violating Ukraine law. The European and International Federation of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) support their Ukrainian affiliates the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) and the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine (IMTUU) in denouncing this leak which endangers journalists’ safety and urge the Ukrainian government to bring those responsible to justice. The private contact details published by Myrotvorets (“The Peacemaker”…

Ukrainian freelancer Mikola Semena was today summoned for questioning in Crimea following charges of making calls to separatism and undermining Russia’s territorial integrity. If found guilty, he could face five years in prison. The International and European Federations of Journalists join their Ukrainian affiliates, the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine (IMTUU) and the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), in urging the Russian authorities to drop the unfounded charges against Semena. On 19 April, the Federal Security Service (FSB) agents in the region of Crimea raided and searched the house of Semena, confiscated his reporting equipment and briefly detained…

This blog is based on a presentation given by Ricardo Gutiérrez, General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, at the University of London, 1st March 2016, as part of ‘Journalists & Commanders. Reporting in times of war, tensions and crises’.  ——————– All wars are dirty. But wars, for journalists, are fascinating. War is action. Power. Flesh, blood and guts. War reporting is also a democratic requirement. Nothing is worse than a conflict covered far from the battlefield, such as some of the war reporting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Covering a war is always challenging for journalists because of the the risk…

This event will serve as a platform for an expert-level consideration of the use of propaganda and disinformation in a hybrid warfare. The first panel will explore how propaganda and trolling, in particular, can undermine Europe’s freedom of speech. The participants are invited to reflect on words that incite violence – namely, on the causal link between the large-scale propaganda, combined with hate speech and unleashing of the war. The second panel will manifest: “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities*”, focusing on Ukraine as an example of an effective Russian disinformation campaign. A representative…

This event will serve as a platform for an expert-level consideration of the use of propaganda and disinformation in a hybrid warfare. The first panel will explore how propaganda and trolling, in particular, can undermine Europe’s freedom of speech. The participants are invited to reflect on words that incite violence – namely, on the causal link between the large-scale propaganda, combined with hate speech and unleashing of the war. The second panel will manifest: “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities*”, focusing on Ukraine as an example of an effective Russian disinformation campaign. A representative…

Ukrainian journalist Maria Varfolomeyeva has been held under arbitrary detention since 9 January 2015 in Luhansk city by the authorities of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR). The journalist has been accused of spying for the Ukrainian nationalist movement (Right Sector) and threatened with a 15-year jail sentence, IFJ and EFJ affiliates reported. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ), representing around 600,000 journalists in the world, have backed their Ukrainian affiliates in condemning such an unlawful detention and urge for her immediate release. According to reports, Varfolomeyeva, working for local news website Svobodny Reporter and as…

2015 has been another deadly year for journalists, with at least 109 journalists and media staff killed in targeted killings, bomb attacks and cross-fire incidents, according to the annual report published today by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The IFJ 2015 list names the 109 journalists and media staff killed across 30 countries, together with 3 who died of accidental deaths. It marks a small drop from last year when 118 killings and 17 accidents were recorded. In Europe, 16 journalists and media staff were killed in 2015: 11 in France, 2 in Ukraine, 1 in Azerbaijan, 1 in…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has joined the IFJ #endimpunity campaign. We call on the European journalists and the EFJ partners to participate in the ceremony organised by the IFJ today, from 16:00 to 16:30, at the Residence Palace’s patio, in Brussels, in partnership with the Association Générale des Journalistes Professionnels de Belgique (AGJPB) and the United Nations. 2 November 2015 will mark the second commemoration of the killing in Kidal, Mali, of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, RFI reporters. To date, the criminal investigation launched by French and Malian authorities has yet to identify the killers and bring them to…