On 3 July, 2026, a forensic analysis by the Citizen Lab revealed that Stelios Kouloglou, former Member of the European Parliament and investigative journalist, was targeted and infected with Pegasus spyware, developed by NSO Group, on or around 21 October 2022, and again on 6 and 7 March 2023. At the time, Kouloglou was serving as a substitute Member of the Parliament’s Committee of Inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (PEGA Committee). This revelation is especially alarming because of the specific institutional context in which the targeting occurred. A member of the very committee mandated…

The imprisonment of Yıldız Tar, a journalist who has worked for many years on human rights, LGBTI+ rights and freedom of expression, deepens concerns over the use of criminal investigations and pre-trial detention against journalists because of their professional work, in Turkey. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are calling on the Turkish authorities to release Yıldız Tar immediately. Journalist Yıldız Tar, editor-in-chief of LGBTQ+ rights publication Kaos GL, was arrested on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” after being detained on 23 June in pre-dawn police raids in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, ahead…

On 6 July, journalists and media workers at the AFP Istanbul bureau will go on strike after management refused to accept their demands for fair wages during collective bargaining negotiations. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) express solidarity with the striking journalists and their affiliate, Türkiye Gazeteciler Sendikası (TGS), and are calling on AFP to meet their demands. The fourth term of collective bargaining negotiations between AFP and TGS began in February 2026. During the negotiations, TGS presented two proposals to management. The first included a 32.4% wage increase, corresponding to the official inflation…

The Portuguese Journalists’ Union (Sindicato dos Jornalistas) today filed a complaint with the European Commission concerning the new statutes of LUSA, Portugal’s state-owned news agency, arguing that they violate European law on the protection of editorial independence. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls on the European Union to act swiftly to assess the case and ensure compliance with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) in the event that a violation is actually found. According to the union, the amendments to the statutes, introduced by the Portuguese government in January 2026, breach several provisions of the European Media Freedom Act…

The Russian artist and cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky was shot dead in the street in eastern Poland, near the border with Belarus, on 15 June. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins Cartooning for Peace in condemning this brutal killing and calls for a full investigation into what appears to be a political assassination.  Skrepetsky, whose real name was Robert Kuzovkov, was shot dead from a distance in the street, after which the killer stepped closer to him to fire another two shots, indicating a targeted attack. Three days before Skrepetsky had engaged in a protest in Berlin, in which he…

The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) has just published the Media Pluralism Monitor 2026 (#MPM2026), the most comprehensive EU-wide assessment of risks to media pluralism and press freedom. The report shows that the working conditions of journalists, in terms of salaries and social security schemes, are deteriorating. The situation is particularly worrying in one in three countries in Europe. This year’s findings show how weak business models, big tech, lack of protection against legal intimidation practices, and market concentration are challenging the resilience of media pluralism in Europe, despite the entry into force of the European Media…