The government of Belarus released ​250 political prisoners, including journalist Katsiaryna Andreeva, on ‌Thursday in a deal brokered by the ​United States, with ​235 released domestically and ⁠15 people deported ​to Lithuania. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Belarusian affiliate in exile, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), in calling for the release of the dozens of journalists and hundreds of political prisoners who remain behind bars in Belarus. The EFJ welcomes the release of the journalists who were among 250 prisoners freed on Thursday as part of a deal in which the United States agreed to ease…

The third edition of the Voices Festival brought together more than 2,500 participants in Florence, Italy, from 10 to 12 March, confirming its ambition to become a vibrant meeting point for citizens, journalists, students, media freedom and literacy advocates. Over three days, the festival featured an inspiring programme of more than 50 debates, workshops, talks, and screenings, exploring the key challenges facing journalism today. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), one of the partner organisations, looks back at some of the most outstanding moments and key takeaways from this year’s edition. Tell me more about the EMFA  Nowadays, no European…

On 13 March 2026, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama held a press conference in Tirana during which he once again displayed disrespect towards members of the press. Journalist Ambrozia Meta of Syri TV and Isa Myzyaj of Report Tv, who also serves as chairman of the Association of Journalists of Albania (AGSH), were ultimately expelled from the conference. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Albanian affiliates, the  Association of Professional Journalists of Albania (APJA) and the Association of Journalists of Albania (AGSH), as well as the SafeJournalists Network (SJN), in condemning the Prime Minister’s behaviour as part of…

On 12 March 2026, personal details of journalist Ardiana Thaçi‑Mehmeti from the TV show Kiks Kosova, including her private phone number, were illegally shared in a ‘Discord’ group with over 70,000 members. The journalist received hundreds of harassing messages overnight from members of the group, including sexual and denigrating content. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its affiliate in Kosovo, the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK), in strongly condemning the online harassment against journalist Ardiana Thaçi‑Mehmeti and calling on the Kosovo Police and the Prosecutor’s Office for a swift investigation into the attack. Two weeks prior to her…

On 12 March 2026, the new version of the law on the governance of Lithuania’s public broadcaster LRT will be put to a vote in Parliament, while the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe has just expressed its concern about the recent amendments. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its affiliate in Lithuania, the Association of Professional Journalists (ŽPA), in opposing the bill and calling on the authorities to abandon their plans to freeze the public broadcaster’s funding and change the procedure governing the dismissal of the Director General. The Venice Commission is an advisory body that provides…

Media freedom in Italy has continued its overall downward trajectory in the past two years, amidst the car bomb attack on one of the country’s most famous journalists, new spyware attacks on reporters, politicisation of the public broadcaster, legal harassment of journalists by governing politicians, and continued concerns over media pluralism, partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) said today. The findings of the MFRR consortium, shared at a press conference in Rome following a follow-up advocacy mission on 9-10 March, conclude that since our organisations’ previous visit to Italy in 2024 the climate for press freedom and…