The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Tuesday discussed the rising levels of violence against journalists, particularly in Turkey, Russia and Azerbaijan. Ukrainian MP Volodymyr Ariev (EPP/CD), pictured above, presented the report, where he drew attention to the death of 16 journalists and the arrest of 150 media employees since January 2015 in member States. Mr. Ariev spoke about the deterioration of media freedom in Turkey and called for “release from detention all journalists who have not been indicted for actively participating in terrorist acts”. He also raised concerns on the media situation in Crimea and eastern parts of Ukraine.…

Khadija Ismayilova‘s acceptance speech on the occasion of receiving the UNESCO/ Guillermo Cano World Press Fredom Prize 2016 The mother of imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova has accepted the 2016 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on her daughter’s behalf. Dear ladies and gentleman, distinguished colleagues. You have graciously and generously gathered tonight on the occasion of the award of the annual Guillermo Cano award for press freedom. If you don’t mind, I will take a minute to pay tribute to Mr. Cano, since the award is very much about him, a person, as much as it is about press…

Speech by Mogens Blicher Bjerregård (EFJ President) The European Partnership countries in former Soviet states must realize that they in reality have to replace their state media by public service media independent from government Independency of media in the so-called partnership countries from Caucasus to Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova was on the agenda 11th April 2016 at a conference set up by the Council of Europe, hosted by UK Parliament at Portcullis House. I was on the speakers list and should deliver a speech about public broadcast. I emphasized and repeated what a previous panelist has said, that it is important to…

Prominent Azeri journalist Rauf Mirkadyrov has today been released following a suspended sentence of five years handed down by the appeals court in the capital, Baku. The International and the European Federations of Journalists, (IFJ) and (EFJ), while welcoming this development, insist on the full acquittal of the journalist, who has been in jail since April 2014 and accused of high treason for spying for Armenia. The political correspondent in Turkey for the independent Russian-language newspaper Zerkalo (Mirror), Rauf Mirkadyrov, has today received a suspended sentence of five years after the court threw out the initial six-year jail conviction, his…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) strongly calls for release of imprisoned journalists in Europe. Following the reports from the national affiliates of the EFJ, 44 journalists will spend New Year’s Eve in prison in Europe: 30 in Turkey, 10 in Azerbaijan and one in Russia. With their affiliates in Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Russia, the EFJ and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are following closely the cases of imprisoned journalists in Europe. All of them are in prison just for having done their job. Together with the Helsinki Commission, the EFJ calls on again the authorities of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Russia to…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) strongly calls for release of imprisoned journalists in Europe. Following the reports from the national affiliates of the EFJ, 39 journalists will spend New Year’s Eve in prison in Europe: 30 in Turkey, 8 in Azerbaijan and one in Russia. With their affiliates in Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Russia, the EFJ and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are following closely the cases of imprisoned journalists in Europe. All of them are in prison just for having done their job. Together with the Helsinki Commission, the EFJ calls on again the authorities of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Russia to…

As Azerbaijan’s capital Baku is getting prepared for the first European Olympic Games to be set on 12-28 June, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) publish a set of safety guidelines to support journalists reporting on the ground.   “We are concerned that journalists may be subject to surveillance by the Azeri security services if they trespass the limits and boundaries fixed by their official accreditation to cover other issues than the Baku 2015 European Games,” said IFJ President Jim Boumelha. “These guidelines will provide journalists on the ground with basic tips to…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) took part to the international interactive media workshop called Uniting Global Media for Human Rights organised by the Global Network for Rights and Development (GNRD). The event held in Stavanger (Norway) on May 21-22 was also a good networking opportunity with the participation of human rights experts and journalists from around the world. The workshop discussed over two days issues including the freedom of expression, censorship and sharing of experience and knowledge while documenting human rights violations worldwide. On day one, Melody Patry (Index) gave a skype presentation about Mapping Media Freedom in Europe…

In a letter sent today, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) call on Azerbaijan President, Ilham Aliyev, to release all seven journalists who are currently behind bars. In recent years Azerbaijan has developed a reputation as one of the world’s worst jailers of journalists. In the past 12 months numerous journalists and human rights activists have fallen victim of what appears to be a deliberate campaign to silence critical voices in the build up to the first ever European Olympics to take place in Azerbaijan in June 2015. The imprisoned journalists include: Nijat Aliyev,…

Ahead of World Press Freedom Day (#WPFD), tomorrow, the European Federation of Journalists strongly calls for release of imprisoned journalists in Europe. With their affiliates in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Russia and Belarus, the EFJ and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are following closely the cases of 33 imprisoned journalists in Europe. All of them are in prison just for having done their job. Together with the Helsinki Commission, the EFJ call on again the authorities of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Russia to release those journalists who remain imprisoned. We will not forget them… Turkey (follow the IFJ/EFJ campaign “Set journalists free in Turkey”)…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) marks 8 March, International Women’s Day, by celebrating the courage of women journalists across Europe. The EFJ supports the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) campaign calling for access to leadership in unions and media organisations for women. A recent report from the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) concluded that “persistent gender inequalities in the media sector can be challenged by advancing women in decision-making.” “While women have considerably outnumbered men in university level and practice-based journalism programmes and women are employed in media professions in ever-increasing numbers, the organisational culture of media organisations remains largely masculine, and women are still significantly…