The undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and Safe Journalists Network (SJN) ahead of the parliamentary elections on 25 October are alarmed by the spiral of violence against journalists and by the overall situation surrounding media freedom. We call on the Serbian authorities to guarantee the safety of media workers during the electoral period. All attacks must be thoroughly investigated and their perpetrators held accountable. Political figures, including state officials, must stop targeting media professionals. On 25 October, Serbian citizens will vote in the extraordinary parliamentary elections. MFRR and SJN partners reiterate that there cannot be free…

Taking part in the meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), on 19 and 20 October, the EFJ President Maja Sever supported the IFJ’s motion expressing solidarity with journalists, trade unions, and professional organisations in Turkey in their fight against censorship, intimidation and the criminalisation of journalism. The IFJ Executive Committee, considering: the increasing repression of independent journalism in Türkiye, including the detention and prosecution of journalists, restrictions on media outlets, the appointment of government-appointed trustees to media organisations and the blocking of journalists’ social media accounts; he fundamental right of journalists to report freely,…

By Rebecca Bonello Ghio European Federation of Journalists, writing in personal capacity Previously worked at The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation (2021 – 2022) On 11 October 2026, the media reported that four jurors expressed debasing comments online and in group chats about Daphne Caruana Galizia. The vilification of Daphne didn’t end with her death, and that is a Maltese problem as well as a media freedom issue. Only days after hearing in court the screams and cries of her family who still don’t have the closure they are looking for, a juror mocked Daphne and her sons, police have found.…

To Dejan Kocić, Chief Executive Officer, United Cloud (Copied to the management of Alpac Capital) Dear Mr Kocić, The undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) are deeply concerned by reports that Nova.rs’s existing editorial team could lose access to the system it uses to publish and manage its journalism. We urge United Cloud to clarify its involvement immediately and refrain from implementing changes that would disable or suppress the newsroom’s independent reporting, both ahead of the upcoming election or after the vote. We support the multiple concerns raised by Serbian journalists’ associations, media organisations and trade unions…

On the ninth anniversary of the murder of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the undersigned international media freedom and journalist groups today lament that full justice for the car bomb assassination remains painfully elusive. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and undersigned organisations, which have campaigned for accountability for nine years, stand in solidarity with Daphne’s family, friends, and colleagues, and pledge our unwavering commitment to the continued fight for justice. A bomb planted in her car killed Caruana Galizia on October 16, 2017, shortly after she left her home. She was renowned for her uncompromising investigations into crime…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) and our Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners in expressing concern over the trial faced in front of the Rome Criminal Court by Giovanni Tizian and Stefano Vergine, Domani’s journalists. The two journalists are accused of complicity with a public official in the unauthorized access to documents and in the disclosure of confidential information. The charges are reportedly aggravated by the allegation that the journalists sought financial compensation through the publication of the information. The proceeding raises serious concerns about the protection of journalistic sources and risks setting…