The partner organisations of the MFRR call on the authorities in Georgia not to extradite journalist Afgan Sadygov to Azerbaijan and to release him from extradition detention. Additionally, authorities should allow Sadygov to freely leave Georgia for a third country. Georgian authorities arrested Sadygov on 3 August according to the journalist’s wife, who posted footage of him being escorted into a car by law enforcement. The following day, a court in Tbilisi ordered Sadygov to be held in extradition detention. Authorities in Azerbaijan have charged Sadygov with “threatening to spread offensive information” for extortion purposes. Sadygov has faced severe repression…

On 31 July 2024, French journalist Thomas Dietrich was ordered by the Swiss justice to withdraw his publications exposing alleged corruption in Guinea and was banned from speaking on the subject. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemns the order issued by the Geneva Court of First Instance against the investigative journalist and considers it a serious attack on press freedom. The so-called “provisional and super-provisional” measures were taken without informing the journalist, who was silenced until the next hearing. On 4 May, Thomas Dietrich revealed in a video that the Swiss company ADDAX ENERGY, owned by the  billionaire Jean-Claude…

Georgian authorities should immediately release Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadygov and stop his extradition to Azerbaijan, said today the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its affiliate in Georgia, the Independent Association of Georgian Journalists (IAGJ). On Saturday 3 August, Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadygov, editor-in-chief of AzelTV news website, known for his reporting on embezzlement of public funds in Azerbaijan, was arrested by Georgian criminal police as he was leaving his home in Tbilisi with his wife and children. Georgia made the arrest in response to an extradition request from the Azerbaijani authorities, following vague accusations of threats and extortion. On…

Since 29 July 2024, FoNet journalist Tamara Skrozza has been subjected to a coordinated defamation campaign by media outlets closely aligned with the Serbian government. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) join their affiliates in Serbia (NUNS, UNS), in standing in solidarity with Skrozza and in condemning these smearing methods aimed at publicly discrediting the journalist with false information. The defamatory articles first appeared on the news portals informer.rs and novosti.rs on 29 July, followed by further dissemination through primetime news on Pink Television and other media close to the government. Tamara Skrozza was falsely accused of stating…

The Media Rapid Response (MFRR) partners stand in solidarity with journalists in Italy and call for an immediate end to all forms of attacks against them. We encourage all key stakeholders, including institutional ones, to join forces in enhancing the protection of journalists and media professionals.  The MFRR is a network of six media freedom organisations committed to working towards a resilient and free media landscape, including through conducting fact-finding and advocacy missions to assess the situation on the ground. Amidst a documented increase in attacks affecting the press and media freedom landscape in Italy recorded by the Media Freedom…

A major prisoner exchange between Russia and the west is under way today involving at least four journalists: Alsu Kurmasheva, Evan Gershkovich, Vladimir Kara-Murza and Pablo Gonzalez. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) welcomes their release, condemns hostage-taking tactics and calls on Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Turkey to free the 137 other journalists currently behind bars in Europe. According to the Turkish authorities, 26 people from prisons in seven different countries were exchanged in Ankara, under the coordination of the Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT). The prisoners are from the US, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia, and Belarus.…