On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (2 November), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) remembers all the journalists in Europe who lost their lives, gave up their safety and their freedom for journalism, and for which justice has still not been served.  Their names are Daphne Caruana Galizia (Malta), Giorgos Karaivaz (Greece), Jan Kuciak (Slovakia), but also Slavko Curuvija (Serbia), Martin O’Hagan (Northern Ireland), Hrant Dink (Turkey). In total, the Council of Europe platform for the safety of journalists lists 32 cases of impunity for murder against 51 journalists and media workers in 16 European…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned press freedom and freedom of expression organisations in expressing deep concern over incidents of intimidation, threats, and physical and verbal assaults against journalists covering the 26 October parliamentary elections in Georgia. The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) documented at least 30 election-related media freedom violations involving 34 media professionals. Journalists and camera operators faced physical attacks on them and their equipment. This included an incident in Kutaisi where three individuals assaulted a CNews journalist at a polling station. In other cases, camera operators were attacked, and their equipment was damaged. Journalists were also insulted, threatened,…

The EFJ President Maja Sever today wrote to the EFJ Spanish affiliates expressing the condolences and solidarity of the European Federation of Journalists for the victims of the flash floods in Spain. “Dear colleagues and affiliates, I am writing on behalf of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) to express our deepest condolences and solidarity in the wake of the deadliest floods in years, as Spain starts a three-day period of official mourning. My thoughts are with the 155 people who lost their lives and the unknown number of people who remain missing, while thousands of others are without electricity…

For six years, the media professionals working for the Dutch news portal NU.nl have been facing continuous harassment, including aggressive messages and death threats. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its affiliate, the Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ) in standing in full solidarity with the threatened media workers and calling on the Dutch authorities to prosecute the perpetrators. Since 2018, NU.nl has received regular criticism of its content via email. These were all sent by a man who became increasingly aggressive over time. His messages changed in tone to include swearing and, more recently, death threats. Recent chilling messages…

Following a two-day mission to Dublin on 22-23 October 2024, the partners of the Council of Europe’s Platform on Safety of Journalists, including the EFJ-IFJ, today called on Irish authorities to continue to engage with civil society in order to prioritise the reform of defamation legislation, the adoption of comprehensive anti-SLAPP provisions, the safety of journalists throughout the island of Ireland, and a sustainable model for trusted public service media.  The Partner organisations met with journalists, representatives of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), and government officials from the Department of Justice and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht,…

A new report by MFRR and CoE Platform partners highlights rising threats to press freedom and journalist safety amid increasing polarisation and fear before the 2024 election in Georgia. On 1-2 October, the partner organisations of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists and of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), including ARTICLE 19 Europe, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Index on Censorship, the International Press Institute (IPI), the Justice for Journalists Foundation, and Reporters Without Borders…