Journalists and whistleblowers risk criminal prosecution in Switzerland if they reveal confidential bank data. At a time when a new massive tax evasion scandal, #SuisseSecrets, is shaking the Swiss banking system, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is demanding the lifting of banking secrecy and in particular of the criminal provisions which, since 2015, have prevented the Swiss press from contributing to the revelation of these scandals. Since 2015, Swiss journalists risk a conviction if they write about stolen bank data. This is why the Swiss media had to give up investigating Credit Suisse clients, as part of the #SuisseSecrets scandal.…

On 14 and 15 March 2022, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is holding the final conference to wrap up the two-year project “Trust and Quality in journalism”: How can gender equality and diversity promote trust in the media? The two-day conference will focus on diversity and gender equality in the media while summarising key conclusions from the previous webinars. The final conference will be organised in partnership with the Andalusian Journalists Union (SPA) and the Federation of Journalists Unions (FeSP) and funded by the European Commission. Registration You can join the conference online via this link. Speakers For more…

A Russian court in the Crimean Simferopol district sentenced Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty journalist Vladislav Yesypenko to six years in prison, on 16 February 2022. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined its affiliate, the Ukrainian National Union of Journalists (NUJU), in denouncing a parody of justice and call again for the immediate journalist’s release.  The Simferopol District Court found Vladislav Yesypenko guilty of fabricated charges, namely being in possession and transport of explosives, after a closed-door trial. Yesypenko is sentenced to six years in a maximum-security penal colony and fined…

The Covid-19 pandemic has a great impact on journalists and journalists’ organisations across Europe. The working conditions of journalists has been greatly affected. The pandemic has underlined the importance of journalists’ unions and associations in supporting journalists in this challenging time. More than ever, stronger unions are essential to protect the rights of journalists and their working conditions. Together with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has launched its funding scheme, co-funded by the European Commission, to support its members to continue and develop their core union activities to support the work of journalists.…

On 2 February, the Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) has voiced dismay after the Rijeka Municipal Court sentenced Novi list journalist Dražen Ciglenečki to a fine of 30 days’ income for statements made on former Zagreb County Court President and now High Criminal Court Judge Ivan Turudić in one of his columns. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its Croatian affiliate in condemning the continuous pressure on journalists and media freedom in the country through the use of criminal and civil laws. The case dates back to 2014 when the journalist Dražen Ciglenečki published in the daily Novi list a…

Press freedom groups raise concern over unprecedented FOI obstructions The undersigned international media freedom organisations today express growing concern over the challenges that media outlets in Malta face in accessing public information through the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. The unprecedented appeals by some 30 government ministries and entities against a decision by the Information and Data Protection Commissioner which ordered the disclosure of information on public expenditure requested by The Shift News are emblematic of these challenges. The appeals stem from FOI requests that The Shift’s editor sent to various public bodies which sought documents about possible contracts and…