Wednesday 16 October 2019 will mark two years since the brutal assassination of Malta’s best-known investigative journalist and anti-corruption campaigner, Daphne Caruana Galizia. Although three men have now been formally charged with her murder, a date for their trial has yet to be set while those who ordered her killing remain at large. To honour Daphne Caruana Galizia’s memory and to continue calling for justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ),  the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a joint FIDH-OMCT programme), Reporters Without Borders (RSF)…

Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party wants to regulate the status of the country’s journalists, and to create a “new media order.” PiS is proposing a new regulatory framework for the conduct of journalism in its 232-page election manifesto,in preparation for the October 13 general election. The ruling party argues that the journalist profession is one which depends on public trust and should, therefore, be regulated in a similar way to that of the medical and legal professions. This would mean establishing a body to oversee ethical and professional standards, education and entry into the profession. The proposed reform…

A group of government supporters attacked the offices of the online media Hayeli.am, highly critical of the Armenian authorities, on October 5. The group threw eggs and posted offensive posters at the entrance of the offices of the publication in Yerevan, the capital of the country. The four suspects are all known as ardent supporters of Armenian Prime Minister and were protesting against a headline that they consider pro-Azerbaijani published by the news website last week: “Aliyev’s belated but ‘strong’ response to Pashinian”. The article was about Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s public reaction a statement on Nagorno-Karabakh made by Armenian…

Kosovo Police detained four Serbian journalists from Radio Belgrade at a police station in Southern Kosovska Mitrovica on Friday, 4 October for six hours. On the same day, Pink Television and Tanjug News Agency crews were held up for several hours at Jarinje administrative crossing. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Serbian affiliates the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS), the Independent Journalists’ Association (NUNS) and the Journalists’ Union of Serbia (SINOS) in supporting their protest for the protection of journalists and the right of informing freely. The Radio Belgrade crew, which included journalist Nataša Aćimović, sound technician Aleksandar Bojović, producer Svetlana…

On 29 September, the Madrid radio M21 stopped airing its programmes following a decision from the newly elected city council of Madrid, leaving the thirteen media workers in an uncertain situation. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliates in Spain Federación de Asociaciones de Periodistas (FAPE) and Federación de Sindicatos de Periodistas (FeSP) in expressing solidarity with M21’s staff. They are calling on the new Mayor and the city council of Madrid to reconsider their decision. Madrid’s Mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida had been accusing repeatedly the radio to be the former mayor mouthpiece, renaming the station ‘Radio Carmena’…

Russian journalist Yulia Yuzik was arrested on 3 October in her hotel room in the Iranian capital Teheran. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) joined their Russian affiliates in urging Iran to clarify the reasons for her arrest. In the absence of evidence, the EFJ calls for the journalist’s immediate release. Yulia Yuzik had her passport confiscated by the police as she entered Teheran airport on 3 October and was told she would get it back on her return. She was arrested later in her hotel room by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for allegedly working for…