The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Belgian affiliate Vlaamse Vereniging van Journalisten (VVJ) in condemning the attack against Belgian journalists Robin Ramaekers and Stijn De Smet in Beirut. They were assaulted, beaten and shot at on Wednesday night after a group of men accused them of working for Israel. The EFJ calls for the assailants to be identified, prosecuted and convicted. Ramaekers was hospitalised for injuries to his face, while De Smet had to be treated for gunshot wounds to the leg. Both are waiting to be evacuated as soon as possible. The two journalists working for the…

To mark the publication of the book entitled “Media pluralism in the digital era: Legal, Economic, Social, and Political Lessons Learnt from Europe”, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) interviewed Iva Nenadic, Research Fellow at the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) at the European University Institute. Co-edited with Elda Brogi and Pier Luigi Parcu, this book draws from over a decade of research through the Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM) and provides essential insights into the evolving media landscape across Europe. Could you tell us about your role at the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF)…

Media freedom groups today condemned the legal action taken by the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, against the editor in chief of Aktuality.sk, Peter Bardy, as well Ringier Slovak Media, the publisher of the book, for the use of a photo of Fico on the cover of the book ‘Fico-Obsessed with Power,’ We call on the court to dismiss the case. Fico is claiming 100.000 euros from Bardy, and another 100.000 euros from the publisher as compensation for non-material damage caused by the choice of cover photo. Fico’s lawyers claim that Fico has the right to decide how his…

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, explicitly mentioned the name of Italian freelance journalist Davide Maria De Luca in her Telegram channel alleging that he illegally crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sudzha, in the Kursk region in western Russia. De Luca is the latest media professional to be added to Russia’s list of wanted journalists following his reporting in the Kursk region. The International and the European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) join their Italian affiliate, the Federazione Nazionale Stampa Italiana (FNSI) in condemning the threats issued by FM spokesperson Zakharova against De Luca – a particularly disturbing case as the…

For the Georgian version, click here. The Mission of the Partner Organisations of the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform and members of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium concluded a fact-finding mission to Georgia. The aim of the mission was to collect information on Georgia’s implementation of its freedom of expression and freedom of the media commitments, including in relation to the ongoing election campaign. This statement presents interim findings of the mission. We, international press freedom, freedom of expression and journalists organisations, have just concluded a two day mission to Georgia. Before diving into the concrete findings…

On 25 September 2024, the judicial authorities in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced the opening of investigations against French journalist Wassim Nasr, over alleged accusations of “complicity and apology for terrorism”. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) condemn these baseless accusations and denounce attempts to muzzle the journalist investigating sensitive topics.  Wassim Nasr reports on jihadist/extremists movements and security issues for the Paris-based TV channel France 24. On 25 September, the Burkinabe, Malian, and Nigerien prosecutor’s offices issued a statement on their respective national televisions stating that “the combined analysis of Wassim Nasr’s various interventions in the…