This is a black week for press freedom in Greece, where on Wednesday a court acquitted the two suspects accused of murdering journalist Giorgos Karaivaz in 2021. The previous day, on Tuesday, the Greek supreme court ruled out any possibility of prosecution against the state and its security service in connection with the illegal wiretapping scandal Predatorgate. Impunity remains the norm in Greece A Greek court acquitted two men who had faced charges of killing a prominent crime journalist. On 9 April 2021, investigative journalist Giorgos Karaivaz was returning home from a daytime show on STAR TV when he was…

On 26 July 2024, Iman Sefati, journalist for the BILD newspaper, was ambushed and threatened with a knife after he spent the day reporting on a peaceful demonstration in Berlin. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its German affiliates, dju in ver.di and the German Journalists Association (DJV), in condemning this violent attack and calling for legal action against the perpetrators.  Iman Sefati was covering the Dyke March, a demonstration in favor of lesbian visibility in Berlin-Neukölln as a video reporter. Later that day, as the reporter was about to leave his private residence, he was approached by a…

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) coalition welcomes the publication of the 2024 European Commission’s rule of law report. Despite progress made in some areas, the report shows that press freedom remains under threat in Europe. We urge Member States and the European Union to intensify their efforts to uphold media freedom and reinforce their roles in safeguarding this pillar of democracy. The release of the fifth annual rule of law report, the last one during the Commission’s current term, provides a critical opportunity to evaluate press freedom and democratic governance across EU Member States.  We warmly welcome the fact…

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners will conduct an international mission to assess the current state of press freedom and the safety of journalists in Croatia. The mission will take place online between 9 and 20 September 2024. The mission follows the assessment of the persistence of attacks against journalists and fact-checkers in Croatia, as well as the growing challenges related to transparency of media ownership and legal threats against journalists. Since January this year, the MFRR recorded 11 alerts involving 2 journalists and nine entities related to the media. The majority of attacks are verbal abuse, with half instigated by…

Media freedom in Italy has been steadily declining in recent years, marked by unprecedented attacks and violations often initiated by public officials in an attempt to silence critical voices. Political interference in public media and the systematic use of legal intimidation against journalists by political actors have long defined the media-politics relationship in Italy. However, these dynamics have reached alarming levels over the past two years. In the lead-up to the 2024 EU elections, amidst a rapidly deteriorating context, the partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) conducted an urgent mission to Rome, Italy, on May 16-17, 2024.…

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) strongly condemns a legislative proposal in Cyprus that threatens press freedom under the guise of combating disinformation. This amendment, which criminalizes “fake news” and imposes harsh penalties, risks stifling independent journalism and encouraging self-censorship. Our international consortium calls on authorities to align with international human rights standards, promote media ethics, and protect freedom of expression, instead of exerting media control. The MFRR coalition is gravely concerned about the recent legislative proposal in Cyprus, aiming to criminalize the dissemination of fake news with draconian penalties including prison sentences of up to one year and/or a…