Following statements against the Italian Vice President of the Council of Ministers Matteo Salvini (far right), journalist Roberto Saviano saw the program he was due to present in the autumn on public television abruptly canceled by the directors of Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI), appointed in the spring. Italy’s far-right government has been accused of leaning on the public broadcaster to axe his anti-mafia television programme. In the name of freedom of expression and in defence of the public interest, the European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) call on RAI to reverse its decision. Four episodes of Saviano’s programme, “Insider, Face…

The Russian authorities continue to crack down on journalists in occupied Crimea. On 27 July, the police have arrested two more journalists there. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliate the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in denouncing these repeated arrests, which are clearly aimed at intimidating the press. On 27 July, Russian police arrested professional journalists Lutfiye Zudiyeva and Kulamet Ibraimov as they were preparing to cover the trial of three Crimean Tartar activists before the Crimean Supreme Court. Zudiyeva and Ibraimov showed their press cards to police…

On 26 July, the Grodno Regional Court sentenced journalist Pavel Mazheyka to 6 years in a prison under the strict regime, reports the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ). The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) join their affiliate BAJ in Belarus in denouncing this outrageous verdict and the indiscriminate repression of journalists by dictator Lukashenko‘s regime. Pavel Mazheika was detained on 30 August 2022 together with former lawyer Yuliya Yurgilevich. They were accused of transmitting information to the Belsat TV channel in February-March 2022, which was considered as “promoting extremist activities.” (the Belarusian regime has declared the Belsat channel…

The repression of journalism continues in Azerbaijan. Journalist Vugar Mammadov has just been sentenced to one month in prison just for doing his job. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) demand his immediate release. On 24 July, the Narimanov district court, presided over by Judge Vusal Gurbanov, sentenced Vugar Mammadov, editor-in-chief of the Hurriyyet newspaper, the Youtube channel Hurriyyet TV and the news portal Hurriyyet.az, to one month in prison. The sentence is based on Article 388.1.1.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences. According to Hurriyyet, Mammadov was accused of broadcasting a critical interview about the Ministry of…

On 5 July 2023, the Croatian Journalists’ Association (HND) was informed by the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media of a particularly repressive draft media law. The task group that had worked on the law did not adopt that document, and the HND officials consider it was almost passed “under the table”. The proposed draft law shows enormous dangers for journalism and freedom of expression.  The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemn the blatant attempt of the Croatian government to stifle the media and to push forward its narrative. We join the…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the undersigned media freedom, freedom of expression and human rights organisations strongly condemn the detention of T24 editor Sibel Yükler, Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporters Delal Akyüz and Fırat Can Arslan, bianet editor Evrim Kepenek and freelance journalist Evrim Deniz in Turkey on July 25. While four of these journalists were conditionally released, Arslan was arrested later the same day. We demand his immediate release. The five journalists were detained the day after July 24, which is marked in Turkey as “Day of Struggle for Press Freedom”, during several house raids. Local media outlets reported that…