The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemns the legal actions aimed at muzzling and intimidating the press in the context of the scandal of illegal government practices in Greece, in particular the tapping of journalists and politicians. The EFJ condemns the abusive legal proceedings launched on Friday 5 August by Grigoris Dimitriadis, resigning adviser and nephew of Greek Prime Minister Kyriákos Mitsotákis, against journalists Thanasis Koukakis, Nikolas Leontopoulos and Thodoris Chondrogiannos, as well as against the website Reporters United and the newspaper EfSyn. “We demand the immediate withdrawal of these complaints, which are only intended to intimidate the press and…

Freelance rates in Belgium have been stagnating for three years, according to a survey conducted in May and June 2022 by the Belgian Association of Professional Journalists (AJP). In a context of rising inflation (8% expected), the gap between employed journalists, who benefit from annual salary indexation, and freelancers is widening. The journalists’ organisation will make the remuneration of freelancers a priority from September. Journalism is one of the few sectors where the clients – the media – set the rates. The different calculation practices (billing per sign, per word, per line, per article, per day) make it difficult, to…

After a series of British journalists, Russia has banned, on Monday morning, the Danish public television correspondent in Moscow, Matilde Kimer. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) call for the reversal of these decisions. On the morning of 1 August, on arrival at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, Matilde Kimer had passed through passport control but was arrested after collecting her luggage. At an airport office, she was handed a document stating that she was denied entry to the Russian Federation “for security and defence reasons” and should therefore be deported immediately. After a five-hour wait at the airport in Moscow,…

This morning, August 3, 2022, the Tagansky District Court of Moscow found the Journalists and Media Workers’ Union (JMWU), an EFJ affiliate in Russia, guilty of allegedly “discrediting the Russian armed forces” (Code of administrative offenses of the Russian Federation). JMWU was ordered to pay the maximum fine of 500,000 rubles (8,000 euros). The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) denounces this illegitimate trial, which only aims to facilitate the dissolution of the union, during a hearing scheduled for September 14. According to the indictment, JMWU was held responsible for the “spreading of ideas related to a negative attitude towards the…

On 3 August, the regional court in Homel, Belarus, sentenced journalist Iryna Slaunikava to 5 years in prison in a closed trial. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its affiliate the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) in calling for the annulment of this arbitrary and illegal court decision. The journalist, who is vice-president of BAJ, was found guilty of organising collective actions seriously undermining public order and creating or leading an extremist group. The latter refers to the Belsat TV channel, which the Belarusian dictatorship considers an extremist organisation. The proceedings lasted almost one and a half months. Judge…

Latvijas Radio vēstīja, Latvia’s public radio station, reported on Monday that Latvia’s intelligence services, Valsts drošības dienesta (VDD) had informed the country’s senior officials about the risks of the increasing activity of Russian journalists and Russian media companies setting up in Latvia. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Russian Journalists and Media Workers’ Union (JMWU) call on the authorities in all European countries not to indiscriminately stigmatise Russian journalists in exile. According to the radio station’s information, since Russia started the war, more than 200 journalists and 23 Russian media outlets have left Russia to settle in Latvia.…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemns the police brutality against several journalists in Athens, Greece, on 28 July, during the demonstration in solidarity with jailed anarchist Yiannis Michailidis. The EFJ calls on the Greek judicial authorities to condemn the perpetrators of such violence. Officers of the primary riot police unit of the Hellenic Police (MAT) physically attacked and teargassed several journalists and covering a protest in central Athens on 28 July. Among the victims identified were the journalists Eleftheria Komandou (Golden Dawn Watch), Lefteris Partsalis and Manos Fragioudakis (News 24/7). The Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers (JUADN), an EFJ affiliate,…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined media freedom organisations in expressing concerns at the lack of implementation of the recommendations of the milestone Public Inquiry into the assassination of Malta’s leading investigative journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia. On the first anniversary of the Public Inquiry report’s publication, we urge the Maltese authorities to comply with their international human rights obligations and implement the recommendations without further delay to ensure effective protection of journalists going forward. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the publication of the landmark Public Inquiry report into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, which was found to…

New measures to prevent legislation used to intimidate journalists and threaten press freedom have been announced in the United Kingdom. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliate the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in welcoming a package of proposals from UK government clamping down on powerful individuals, who attempt to use strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), to intimidate journalists and influence reporting. Under the announced reforms, a new three-part test will be used in an early dismissal process to determine whether a SLAPP case can be struck out. The test will include an assessment of whether a case…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joined media freedom and freedom of expression organisations in welcoming the European Commission’s decision to refer Hungary to the Court of Justice of the European Union over the February 2021 decision of the country’s Media Council to force independent broadcaster Klubrádió from the airwaves. This decision by the EU’s executive body to take Hungary to court over the alleged breach in EU telecoms rules regarding Klubrádió’s frequency licence is a belated but important signal that the Commission is increasingly willing to use the tools available to it to defend independent media, freedom of…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the publication on Wednesday 13 July of the European Commission’s report on the rule of law. This third annual report highlights the threats to media pluralism and the safety of journalists in EU Member States. The EFJ called on the European Commission to adopt a binding and demanding Media Freedom Act to compel Member States to take action. The third EU Rule of Law report features specific recommendations targeted at individual member states. Sixteen EU countries have been urged to take measures to protect journalists, media freedom and pluralism (see below). The findings…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joined its partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers (JUADN) in condemning the arson attack on the offices of newspaper Real News and the radio station Real FM in Athens on 13 July 2022. Our organisations call on the Greek law enforcement authorities to conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the motive and circumstances behind the fire and to bring the perpetrators and masterminds to justice. This case is yet another worrying example of the deteriorating press freedom in Greece, which requires…

Belarusian journalist Katsiaryna Andreeva, a correspondent with the Poland-based independent broadcaster Belsat TV, has been sentenced on July 13 to eight years in prison for alleged treason charges. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) denounces this parody of justice and calls on the authorities in Belarus to stop harassing and prosecuting media workers, and release all journalists imprisoned for their work. On July 4, Andreeva’s trial on alleged treason charges started behind closed doors in the southeastern city of Homel. On July 13, the Homel Regional Court sentenced the journalist to eight years in prison on charges of treason against…

Media employers have to do more to fulfil their duty of care for journalists’ safety, especially freelance and female journalists who are more vulnerable, concluded in a safety workshop held by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ) in the Hilversum Media Park on 4 and 5 July.  The workshop, attended by more than 40 EFJ members, legal experts, journalists and media representatives, highlighted the increasing dangers to journalists, both physical and online, with little awareness from media employers of these threats and a flagrant lack of resources to ensure their safety. According to…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) have condemned moves by the Russian authorities to shut down the Journalists’ and Media Workers’ Union (JMWU). The EFJ and IFJ urge the Russian authorities to drop the lawsuit against JMWU and to end their crackdown on independent journalists and media outlets in Russia. On 5 July, the Moscow City Court notified JMWU that the Moscow prosecutor had filed a lawsuit to liquidate the journalists’ union. Pending judgment, the court decided on 4 July to order a suspension of the union’s activities. The preliminary hearing of the case is set for 13 July. JMWU…

On 9, July 2022, the Santiago de Compostela’s Journalists Association (APSC) inaugurated the International Press Centre of Galicia in the regional capital. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the inauguration of this meeting point for citizens and media professionals. Among many representatives from European media organisations and unions, including the IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger, the president of the Spanish Journalists Federation (FAPE), Miguel Ángel Noceda and the APSC president Luis Menéndez were present to lead the event. The newly created centre features a meeting room and a large office space for journalists. The APSC will run the different activities…