As of June 24, 2025, Vladyslav Yesypenko, a Ukrainian journalist unlawfully held for over four years, has been freed from Russian occupied Crimea. Yesypenko was a freelance contributor to Krym.Realii (a project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty), when he was seized in March 2021 by Russia’s Federal Security Service. In a closed trial, after a forced confession (which he eventually renounced saying it was forced out of him through torture), Yesypenko was wrongfully sentenced to six years on fabricated charges. Yesypenko was deprived of independent legal assistance during his detention, and domestic and international observers were prohibited from his trial.…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the undersigned Media Freedom Rapid Response partners and Council of Europe Safety of Journalists Platform members in expressing support for their colleague Flutura Kusari, Senior Legal Advisor at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), ahead of her forthcoming legal action against Mentor Llugaliu. We call on the Basic Prosecution of Prishtina in Kosovo to conduct a swift, impartial, and thorough investigation into the case. On March 21, 2025, Kusari filed a criminal report against Mentor Llugaliu, an online activist and supporter of Kosovo’s ruling party, the Vetevendosje Movement, accusing him…

The process for the appointment of new members to the council of Serbia’s media regulator has again been conducted in a non-transparent and discriminatory manner, in clear violation of Serbian legislation, making a mockery of democratic media reforms demanded by the European Union, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) said today with partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and SafeJournalists Network. Last week, candidates and nominator organisations which are independent of the government pulled out of the process for appointing new members of the Council of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM), Serbia’s most important media regulator.…

Organised in Namur (Belgium) on 16-17 June 2025, the fourth ‘Stand Up for Journalism’ workshop was dedicated to the mental wellbeing of journalists. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), in partnership with its Belgian affiliate the Association des journalistes professionnels (AJP), gathered 35 union representatives and experts from 13 countries to discuss how to support journalists’ organisations in tackling psychosocial risks that are increasingly affecting journalists, such as burnout. Solutions identified include stronger legislative frameworks, development of in-house programs such as peer support, and trainings, especially for managers. Many studies throughout Europe show that journalists are workers at high risk…

Looking at the data from the 2025 Digital News Report, issued today, one thing is strikingly clear: Europe (and the world) is in the midst of a trust crisis. At this moment, we are witnessing populist governments amassing rapid support, misinformation becoming endlessly prolific, and the want for trusted news has never been greater. This fourteenth edition of the Report is based on data from six continents and 48 countries.  While the demand for trustworthy information is rising higher than ever, audiences continue to disengage from traditional and reputable news sources. While the 2025 Digital News Report finds global trust…

As the ruling Georgian Dream party intensifies efforts to consolidate authoritarian rule, independent media face unprecedented pressure and are now on the brink of survival. Journalists are increasingly subjected to detentions, physical attacks, arbitrary fines, censorship, as well as financial and institutional repression. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins international media freedom, journalists’, and human rights organisations, renew our call on the international community, especially the European Union (EU), to exert effective pressure on the Georgian Dream ruling party to end the suppression of independent journalism and to uphold democratic principles and media freedom. We further reiterate our full…