The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined today the partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in expressing solidarity with Emilia Sercan and urging the end of coordinated attacks on the journalist. Today, 17 February 2023, marks one year since journalist Emilia Șercan filed a police complaint about cybercrime and violation of privacy after she discovered five stolen personal pictures taken about twenty years ago had been published on 34 porn websites. The next day, Șercan found that a Moldovan website had published an article containing the five stolen pictures and a Facebook Messenger screenshot she had provided…

Ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, Sergiy Tomilenko, president of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), looks back on a year of relentless work, in which NUJU has supported journalists on the ground and assesses the challenges they face as the war enters its second year. In this interview with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Sergiy Tomilenko highlights the crucial role of the Solidarity Centers in ensuring that local and international media can report on the conflict, and the imperative need for more funds to continue supporting Ukrainian journalists.…

Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko has been jailed for six years for posting on Telegram about a deadly attack by Russian warplanes on a theatre in Ukraine. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) denounce this fierce repression of freedom of expression in Russia and demand the immediate release of the journalist. Maria Ponomarenko, 44, a correspondent of the RusNews channel on Youtube, was sentenced to six years in prison for comments critical of Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine, officials said, as part of an ongoing crackdown on dissent. The verdict is the latest in a series of high-profile rulings under new…

On 24 February 2023, it will be one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) are launching a new fundraising campaign to support Ukrainian journalists on the ground. On this occasion, the International Federation of Journalists interviewed Xhemajl Rexha, president of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), about the work carried through their program “Journalists in Residence – Kosovo” with the Government of Kosovo and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECMPF) in collaboration with the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), as they are welcoming Ukrainian journalists by providing them with…

Between 20 and 21 February 2023, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will join a delegation of international media freedom organisations in conducting a joint mission to Bratislava to mark the five-year anniversary of the killing of Slovak investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová. The aim of the mission is twofold. Firstly, to take part in the anniversary events and express solidarity with the families and the Slovak journalistic community as the retrial of the alleged mastermind at the Specialised Criminal Court reaches its final stage. Secondly, five years after the assassination, to evaluate the security of…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined today the partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium in expressing our condolences with the victims of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and reiterating the need for a free media atmosphere as a crucial element of all disaster relief processes. In the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes with epicentre in the province of Kahramanmaraş in Turkey on Monday 6 February 2023, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners have received multiple reports of press and media freedom violations including detentions of journalists and media workers, investigations for incitement to hatred in…

Mortaza Behboudi, a French-Afghan journalist living in France, was arrested on 7 January in Kabul, two days after arriving in Afghanistan, as he was about to collect his press accreditation. He is still being held in Afghanistan. The French journalists’ unions SNJ, SNJ-CGT, CFDT-Journalistes, SGJ-FO, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) join the appeal launched by 15 French media and production companies as well as several French associations and institutions demanding the release of Mortaza Behboudi, who is arbitrarily detained by the Afghan authorities. The SNJ, SNJ-CGT, CFDT-Journalistes and SGJ-FO – members of…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), alongside 50 journalists, press freedom organisations, European trade unions, civil society and digital rights groups, is calling on the Members of the European Parliament to start their crucial work as co-legislators for a strengthened European Media Freedom Act. Captured media markets increasingly hinder media freedom and pluralism, the precondition of a stable democracy and the rule of law. We are calling on Members of the European Parliament to engage constructively in this vital debate to ensure that the EMFA becomes a strong, coherent regulation establishing harmonised legal safeguards across Europe. We sent them the following letter: Dear…

Update (10/02/2023) The Executive Board of the Polish Journalists Association (SDP) issued a statement condemning the verdict and calling on Belarusian authorities to release the journalist. Full SDP statement here. Update (17/02/2023) The Society of Journalists (TD) issued a statement on the case of journalists currently imprisoned in Belarus. They demand the immediate release of journalist Andrzej Poczobut. Full TD statement here. ————————— Hrodna Regional Court sentenced Polish-Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut to eight years in prison, on 8 February 2023. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) joined their affiliate the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) in condemning a political…

The German media group RTL, part of Bertelsmann, announced on 7 February 2023 its decision to stop the publication of 23 print magazines and to potentially sell others. This decision would put 700 jobs at risk, including freelancing jobs. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) demands the opening of immediate negotiations between RTL and the journalists’ organisations (dju in ver.di and DJV) in Germany. Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe, who took the position on 1 April 2019, said that RTL Group was adjusting to “the rapidly changing media landscape” and that it would focus on “core brands”, including Stern, GEO and Capital.…

In recent days, state officials in North Macedonia have verbally abused journalists and media outlets on several occasions. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliate in North Macedonia, the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM), in condemning the inappropriate behaviour of public figures and reminding them of the moral obligations that go with public office. Since 16 January, the Prime Minister, several ministers and the president of a political party have used degrading language against several journalists who were doing their job by asking questions, sometimes embarrassing, to prominent public figures in North Macedonia. Specifically on 16 January,…

The partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) publish the latest edition of their Monitoring Report, analysing the state of press and media freedom throughout EU Member States and candidate countries in 2022. The Monitoring Report – produced by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the International Press Institute (IPI), and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) as part of the MFRR – gathers and analyses all media freedom violations recorded on Mapping Media Freedom throughout the year 2022.  War in Ukraine The current monitoring report starts with a thematic chapter on the war in Ukraine…

On 24 February 2023, it will be one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) are launching a new fundraising campaign to support Ukrainian journalists on the ground. Ukraine became the deadliest country for journalists in 2022 with 12 colleagues killed in the course of their work, according to the IFJ’s Killed List, and the needs are immense. The war still rages, and affects all dimensions of journalists’ lives from increasing insecurity, to the need for protection equipment and safety training and humanitarian aid for those forced to flee. As a response to the emergency situation,…

On 3 February, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its partners co-signed the following letter to the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti (VV), following the appointment of a ruling party activist as director of the public television RTK. Dear Albin Kurti, President of Vetevendosje Movement (VV) and Prime Minister of Kosovo, Our international press freedom and journalists’ organisations are writing to you to share our shared concerns about the recent appointment process for the new director of television at Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) Mr. Rilind Gërvalla. Ahead of the voting by the Board of RTK on Tuesday…

The MFRR Summit is back! This year, the conference titled “Press Freedom on the Line” will take place online from 29 – 31 March 2023. Reflecting the MFRR’s core campaign areas, the online conference will host in-depth discussions on journalist safety, media capture, the rule of law, and SLAPPs. Hosted on Zoom for interactive participation, and simultaneously livestreamed on the MFRR YouTube channel, the conference will play host to a range of panel discussions, live interviews, and keynote speeches with journalists, media freedom experts, policy-makers, and other stakeholders all working to defend press freedom. Take a look at the daily breakdown…

A Russian court on 1st February sentenced in absentia veteran journalist Alexander Nevzorov to eight years in prison for spreading so-called “false information” about Russia’s war on Ukraine. The European and International Federations of Journalism (EFJ-IFJ) join their Russian affiliate JMWU in condemning this criminalisation of journalism and call on the Russian authorities to review the ruling. Nevzorov came under pressure from authorities for alleging that Russian forces deliberately shelled a maternity hospital in Mariupol, in southern Ukraine. “Journalist Alexander Glebovich Nevzorov was found guilty (…) and sentenced to imprisonment for a period of eight years,” the press service for…