Together with 79 journalists and press freedom, civil society, trade unions, digital rights, publishers and broadcasters organisations, the European Federation of Journalists has sent an open letter today to all members of the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE), which is discussing the amendments to Article 4 on protection of sources and use of spyware against journalists of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). While the European Media Freedom Act represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to safeguard the rights of journalists, the letter says, the recently-adopted Council’s general approach permits the deployment of “intrusive surveillance software” against media service providers on broad national security…

Prominent investigative journalist Yelena Milashina has been badly beaten and had fingers broken by masked men as she travelled to a court in Grozny, Chechnya, on Monday morning. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) condemn this brutal beating and demand an investigation into this vicious attack. Yelena Milashina, who writes for Novaya Gazeta newspaper, was travelling with a lawyer, Alexander Nemov. Their car was stopped by three cars with armed men as they drove to the capital, Grozny, to witness the trial of the wife of a former judge of the Republic’s Supreme Court. “It was a classic…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) commemorates the 20th anniversary of the death of Russian journalist Yuri Shchekochikhin today. Shchekochikhin, 53, then deputy editor of the independent Moscow twice-weekly Novaya Gazeta, died 12 days after being hospitalized in a Moscow clinic with what doctors said was an acute allergic reaction. He died suddenly on 3 July 2003 a few days before his scheduled departure to the United States, where he planned to meet with FBI investigators. His medical documents were either lost or destroyed by authorities. The EFJ and IFJ believe the journalist was poisoned to prevent him…

The French group Avisa Partners, specialising in economic intelligence, influence strategy and cybersecurity, has decided to withdraw all the legal proceedings it had brought against a number of French media. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes this act of appeasement, following our joint open letter to the European Commission on the practices of e-influencers. After a series of exchanges with the EFJ, Arnaud Dassier, Chairman of Avisa Partners, informed us that “in the interests of appeasement and with the desire not to be associated with proceedings that could be interpreted as seeking to hinder press freedom, Avisa Partners has…

The undersigned organisations call on the incoming Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union to place media freedom and human rights front and centre of relations with the newly re-elected Government of Turkey. The May elections, which saw a parliamentary majority for the AKP and its allies and the re-election of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as President, took place against a backdrop of a media landscape dominated by pro-government outlets, the smothering of independent voices and the repression of critical journalism. Over the past two decades, Turkey’s government has captured over 90% of the media landscape, including direct control…

Journalist Merdan Yanardağ, editor-in-chief of Turkish broadcaster TELE1, was arrested on 27 June following a judicial investigation into his televised remarks about imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) demands his immediate release. Yanardağ was charged with “praising crime and the criminal” as well as “propaganda for a terrorist organisation”, following his comments about Öcalan during a television programme broadcast on TELE1 on 20 June. During his speech, Yanardağ said, “Öcalan is Turkey’s longest serving political prisoner. If normal execution laws were applicable, he should in fact be released… The isolation imposed on…

The President of the Turkish Cypriot Press Workers’ Union (Basın-Sen), journalist Ali Kişmir, was forced to resign from the online channel TV20 because of his reaction to the censorship of a critical article on Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar published on the channel’s website. The information was made public last Friday. Kişmir announced that following the censorship of his article, the channel’s directors put a stop to his television programmes. The censorship came after the ‘presidency’ had repeatedly contacted TV20 owners about the article. EFJ Vice President Mustafa Kuleli reacted to the forced dismissal of Ali Kişmir and said that it…

Update (12/10/2023): On 12 October 2023, the Court of Rome sentenced Roberto Saviano to a fine of 1,000 euros for defamation. The EFJ condemns this judgement, pointing out that freedom of expression, as defined by the European Court of Human Rights, also applies to statements that offend, shock or disturb. The EFJ calls on Italian authorities to decriminalise defamation and to establish reasonable limits on damages within civil law to protect media freedom, freedom of expression, and the public’s right to know. —— The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the undersigned international media freedom and journalists’ organisations and stands…

Germany’s top-selling tabloid Bild announced that it will cut about 200 jobs and close about one-third of its regional editions across the country. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliates in Germany, the DJV and dju in ver.di, in opposing the plans of publisher Axel Springer SE and calling for no journalists to be dismissed. The move comes after the company launched a major shift to go totally digital this year. Citing an email sent to the staff on Monday 19 June 2023, The Guardian first reported that the Bild would “parting ways with colleagues who have tasks…

Together with 17 media outlets, journalists’ and press freedom organisations, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today sent an open letter to Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, and Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, to denounce the abusive practices of some reputation management companies operating in the European Union towards journalists and access to information. Last February, the media NGO Forbidden Stories – which continues the work of assassinated journalists – published its latest investigation into disinformation mercenaries, “Story Killers”, and revealed the practices of one player in particular: Eliminalia, a Spanish reputation management company that offers to…

EU governments want to authorise the spying of journalists and their sources on vague grounds of “national security”. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) strongly rejects the position of the EU Council on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and denounces a blow to media freedom, arguing that such legislation would put journalists and their sources even more at risk. The Council reached today, 21 June 2023, an agreement on the much-needed European Media Freedom Act, a legislation proposed by the European Commission on 16 September 2022 with the intention to introduce safeguards against political interference, media concentration, and to…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned media freedom, freedom of expression and human rights organizations in strongly condemning the appalling attack on journalist Sinan Aygül that took place in Tatvan, a city in eastern Turkey, on June 17. Two people were arrested the following day and charged with ‘intentional injury with a weapon’. While we welcome the swift arrests, we call upon the authorities to thoroughly investigate this crime and ensure that all those responsible, including others who may have been behind the attack, are held fully accountable. On June 17, Aygül, who is also the chairperson…

The latest draft compromise text of the EU Council on the European Media Freedom Act provides for a ‘national security’ exception – introduced by France – to the general ban on deploying spyware against journalists without guarantees for the protection of sources. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliates and other civil society organisations in urging Member States to reconsider their current position and take steps to meaningfully protect journalists and their fundamental rights. To ensure that the Regulation protects journalists and their fundamental rights, the Council must instead: eliminate the exception for “national security” restrict the list…

At least four French media outlets have been targeted in mid-June by a massive disinformation campaign coming from Russia. Websites of Le Monde, 20 Minutes, Le Parisien and Le Figaro were replicated with fake content disseminating the Kremlin communications relayed by fake social media accounts.  Started in 2022, this digital interference campaign, nicknamed “Doppelgänger”, targeted other European news media outlets in Germany (Der Spiegel, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Bild) and in the United Kingdom (The Guardian). Similar fakes have also been seen in Ukraine, Latvia and Italy, amongst others. In addition, a new media called “Reliable Recent News”…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) joined the undersigned international media freedom organisations in today expressing alarm over the Kosovo authorities’ unprecedented move to suspend the business certificate of major private television broadcaster, Klan Kosova, and bring criminal charges against its representatives. The actions of the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade are extremely serious and pose a serious threat to the exercise of media freedom in Kosovo. This is the first time in the country’s history that a broadcaster’s business certificate has been suspended in such a manner. Withdrawing the business certificate, which could lead to the…

Following the recent resignation of the CEO and other major politically-influenced internal management changes at Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI), the Italian public service broadcaster, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned organisations in expressing growing alarm about threats to the editorial independence of the broadcaster. We call on the parliament to initiate a debate aimed at reforming the governance and funding system of RAI and safeguarding its independence. On May 8, 2023, Carlo Fuortes announced his resignation from the post of CEO of RAI, citing political pressure. The high-profile resignation came amidst reports of behind-the-scenes negotiations between Fuortes and…