The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined eleven organisations members of the Spyware Coordination Group in addressing the European Parliament regarding serious concerns about the procurement, use, and regulation of spyware technologies in Slovakia and Greece. In a joint letter, the coalition highlights the alarming developments in both countries, where spyware tools like Pegasus and Predator have been linked to violations of privacy and fundamental rights. The letter urges the European Parliament to take immediate action to ensure transparency, accountability, and adherence to legal standards, emphasising the need for robust legislative frameworks to protect privacy and freedom of expression across…

We, the undersigned civil society and journalists’ organisations (CSOs) that advocate for the safeguarding and promotion of the rule of law, democracy, freedom of expression, media freedom and the protection of journalists are appalled by the decisions of the Atlantic Council to award Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis Atlantic Council Global Citizen Awards.  We find that these decisions risk normalising their repressive policies and actions against media freedom and can further erode democratic principles and embolden authoritarian tendencies in both countries and beyond. According to the European Commission’s annual Rule of Law report and…

On the eve of the seventh anniversary of the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia on 16 October 2017, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and ten other journalist and freedom of expression organizations wrote to Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela calling on his government to speed up reforms to create a safer environment for the media community in Malta. The groups called on Abela, after years of delay, to finally deliver on the recommendations of a public inquiry into her murder, which concluded in 2021 that the state had created an “atmosphere of impunity” and failed to take…

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and partner organisations today mourn the death of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who died in unclear circumstances while in Russian detention, and whose death was confirmed by Russian and Ukrainian authorities on Thursday. We welcome the opening of an investigation by Ukrainian authorities on the grounds of “war crime combined with premeditated murder” and demand that Russian authorities do the same to elucidate the circumstances of Roshchyna’s death and bring to justice all those who could be responsible. Roshchyna, a freelance journalist with Ukrainska Pravda, a major Ukrainian publication, and several other leading Ukrainian…

Ukraine’s government spokesperson confirmed the death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna while being transferred from the southwestern city of Taganrog to Moscow, the capital for a prisoner exchange on 19 September. The International and the European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) join their affiliates, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) and the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine (IMTUU) in condemning Roshchyna’s death and urge Russian authorities to disclose the circumstances surrounding the tragic event. Russia’s government bears sole responsibility for Roshchyna’s death and for the safety of all journalists in Russian captivity. On 10 October, Ukraine government spokesperson…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), together with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the International Press Institute (IPI), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Al Jazeera, took part in a two-day mission to Geneva on 8 and 9 October in the margins of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The six organisations involved denounced the massacre of Palestinian journalists in Gaza. They also denounced the ban on international press access to Gaza, which prevents the ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity from being documented there. On 9 October, the Israeli Occupation Forces targeted…