The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners in condemning the online intimidation of investigative journalists working for La Sexta TV by Daniel Esteve, CEO of the eviction company Desokupa. Esteve’s harassment and threats to reveal personal information put the journalists’ safety at great risk. We call on the Spanish authorities to take immediate action to protect them. The undersigned organizations are deeply concerned by the threats and intimidation targeting the investigative journalism team of Equipo de Investigación, a program on Spanish private TV channel La Sexta, by Daniel Esteve, CEO and owner of…

By EFJ President Maja Sever (originally published on Social Europe) The journalist Heba al-Abdallah was born in Khan Yunis in 1993. At Al-Azhar University, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Arabic language and media. The defence of her master’s thesis awaited. Heba was married and had a daughter, Judy. She was a news anchor and presenter at a radio station, collaborated with a university, and was on the board of directors of the Social Media Club in Palestine. She also worked on the working women’s file for the Subordinate Workers’ Movement. ‘These days are among the most difficult moments that a person…

After decades of impunity, there has been a move towards justice finally being served in the case of the four Dutch journalists murdered by military forces in El Salvador in 1982. The investigation, which was reopened in 2020, has identified those allegedly responsible for the crime and has been elevated to trial status. This could set a precedent for other crimes which were committed during El Salvador’s internal conflict in the 1980s and which are still to be judged. The International and European Federations of Journalists, together with the Dutch Association of Journalists (Nederlandse Vereniging van Journalisten) and the Journalists’ Association…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), together with the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), stands in full solidarity with “B.T.” Danish journalist Claes Kirkeby Theilgaard and Swedish political reporter Inas Hamdan, working for “Sydsvenskan”, who have been threatened for their political reporting, including their coverage on demonstrations related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  On 25 July, an unprecedented incident occurred when reporter Inas Hamdan was threatened at her residence by a crowd gathered outside her home in Malmö, Sweden. As reported by the journalist, they were protesting her coverage of the weekly Malmö rallies to end the Israel-Palestine…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), 38 European journalists’ unions and more than 20 press freedom NGOs today sent a letter to the European Union’s top diplomats calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and for sanctions against those responsible for Israel’s war crimes and repeated violations of international law. The letter was drafted on the initiative of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). It is co-signed among others by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Human Rights Watch (HRW), IFEX, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)… Here is our joint…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) undersigned a statement with 14 human rights and media freedom organisations, expressing that the European Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law Report misleads readers about the state of the rule of law in Greece. This comes at a time when media freedom and civic space face dire threats and attacks. The overly positive account in the report starkly contrasts an alarming reality experienced by journalists, activists, and civil society organisations on the ground, and a growing international concern over the deterioration of the rule of law in the country. This was already highlighted by 17 human…

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…

On 5 July 2024, the Athens Court of First Instance will hold the start of the trial of suspects accused of murdering Greek investigative journalist Giorgos Karaivaz in 2021. The trial which was initially scheduled on 26 May 2024, must conclude by 28 October this year, when the suspects’ pre-trial detention ends. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its Greek affiliates (JUADN, ESIEMTH, PFJU, PEPU – ESPIT) welcome the steps taken to prosecute Karaivaz’s murder and urge authorities to conduct an independent and transparent investigation to ensure that all perpetrators are held to account, including those who ordered the…

Another alarming report on the deterioration of media pluralism in Europe. The latest edition of the “Media Pluralism Monitor” (MPM2024) is out. Of the 32 European countries analysed, barely seven (Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland and Lithuania) have a satisfactory situation. Everywhere else, European citizens are not fully guaranteed access to diversified and independent sources of information. Overall trends show increasing commercial and political interference in the media. The report also demonstrates the passivity of European governments and media companies in the face of this democratic threat. The latest MPM report was released today by the Centre for…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the undersigned members of the Media freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in welcoming the start of the trial, on 26 June, of two suspects accused of the 2021 killing of Greek investigative journalist, Giorgos Karaivaz. We also call on the authorities to redouble efforts to identify those who ordered his murder.  Giorgos Karaivaz was shot dead on 9 April 2021, near his home in Alimos, by professional hitmen who then escaped on a motorbike. The suspects were apprehended in April 2023, and have since been held in pretrial detention. The trial must conclude by…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) coalition partners in standing in solidarity with the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, which has unwaveringly campaigned against the continued impunity for the 1999 murder of Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija. New legal action brought by two of the individuals acquitted of Ćuruvija’s murder now threatens to undermine the foundation’s campaign for justice. For over a decade, the Foundation has sought justice for Ćuruvija, an esteemed editor and publisher who was shot in front of his home in Belgrade in 1999. Twenty years later, four former state security officers were…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the undersigned organisations in welcoming the recent study on the actions taken by Member States to implement the European Commission’s Recommendation on the protection and safety of journalists. However, our coalition finds that the report lacks a critical assessment of on-the-ground realities that reduce the effectiveness of initiatives that otherwise look good on paper. We stress therefore the need for more effective measures, and a deeper engagement with journalists and media freedom organizations, to build structures that can genuinely safeguard journalist safety in Europe. The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) coalition reviewed the recently published…

The SafeJournalists network, Media Freedom Rapid Response partners, and Coalition for Media Freedom condemn the ongoing attacks on journalists in Serbia. This growing pressure has been recently exemplified by a physical attack on journalist Vuk Cvijić, and the demand for prison sentences for the journalists of the media outlets KRIK and Pištaljka. We call on the authorities to prioritise addressing the rise in attacks against the press and to genuinely commit to improving the safety of journalists. Radar weekly journalist Vuk Cvijić was attacked on 29 May in Belgrade by Milan Lađević, co-owner of the publisher of the pro-government tabloid…

Speech by Maja Sever (EFJ President) on 23 May 2024. Dear colleagues, I am glad that we gathered here in Prishtina.  Thank you to our AGK for hosting us, and I believe that we will send a message about the importance of protecting the independent, professional, and safe work of the media community in this part of Europe as well. It’s been a difficult year. Times are tough and might get even tougher. But we’re all here because we refuse to give up. We believe in journalism and democracy, and we won’t back down from our fight. Our colleagues are…

UNESCO published a report entitled “Press and planet in danger”, showcasing the trends and challenges of the safety of environmental journalists. It shows a spike in attacks over the last five years (2019-2023) with a 42% increase compared to the 2014-2018 period, making the situation more serious than ever.  The report examines attacks against journalists covering environmental issues over the past fifteen years. The report’s findings are based on the collection of data from 2009 to 2023 and on a survey conducted in March 2024 on 905 respondents in 123 countries with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The report…