The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the Safe Journalists Network (SJN) and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners in expressing, in an open letter to the Parliament of Albania, our serious concern over recent proposals by the parliamentary majority to significantly restrict journalists’ access to the Parliament of Albania.

The Danish government has announced its intention to introduce a public-funded Ombudsperson for the media with broad legal powers concentrated into a single state-appointed institution. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), as well as Danish media and journalist groups in opposing the proposal, warning that rather than strengthening the existing media regulatory framework, it would weaken the role of the Press Council and risks creating new avenues for unjustified or politicised interference in healthy media ecosystem. The role and powers given to the new Media Ombudsperson were outlined by the…

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) is helping 10 journalists and media workers resettle abroad after their release in Lithuania on 11 September, in a deal brokered by the United States. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins BAJ in condemning the “forcible expulsion” and calls for international solidarity to support those rebuilding their lives outside Belarus and the 28 journalists still behind bars. The 10 journalists and 42 other political prisoners were brought to Lithuania by bus in what has been described as “forced exile,” with most of them nearing the end of their prison sentences. Without passports nor…

This Monitoring Report takes stock of the press freedom situation in 36 EU Member States and candidate countries during the first six months of 2025. Between January and June, the Mapping Media Freedom database documented 709 press freedom violations, affecting 1249 media workers or entities.  The report documents a vast variety of attacks, indicating that media workers in Europe operate in an increasingly hostile environment. The types of attacks documented included verbal attacks – such as death threats and smear campaigns – physical attacks, attacks to property, legal incidents, and interference with reporting work.  Media workers faced threats in different…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the release on Thursday of 52 political prisoners, including 9 journalists, by the Belarusian authorities. There are still 27 journalists in prison in Belarus. The EFJ demands their immediate release. On Thursday, Belarus has freed 52 political prisoners of different nationalities. They have crossed into Lithuania, in what appeared to be the largest release of detainees in years. The release was announced as Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko met in Minsk with John Coale, a representative of US President Donald Trump. In return, the United States announced that they were lifting sanctions on the Belarusian…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the undersigned media freedom, journalists’, and freedom of expression organizations in strongly condemning the recent physical and verbal attacks on independent media by activists of the Georgian Dream ruling party and a police officer. These latest serious physical attacks are the result of long-standing impunity for crimes against journalists in Georgia. We demand an independent and thorough investigation into these incidents and that all those responsible be fully held accountable. On the evening of September 8, tensions near Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze’s campaign office escalated between peaceful protesters and Georgian Dream activists. Reports…

Turkey is increasingly throttling social media platforms and messaging apps to silence online communication at moments of profound political or social importance. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the undersigned human rights and press freedom organisations in condemn Turkey’s actions, which isolate people from vital information, and stifle democratic participation. Turkey must correct course and uphold its international human rights obligations. On 7 September at 23:45, major social media platforms and messaging services X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal became inaccessible in Istanbul for approximately 21 hours. The bandwidth throttling coincided with a police blockade of the main opposition Republican…

In a new EFJ “#PressTalks” episode, Swedish foreign reporter Joakim Medin for the newspaper Dagens ETC shares his story as a journalist imprisoned for 51 days in a Turkish prison on terrorism charges.  Joakim is a member of the Swedish Union of Journalists (SJF) and benefitted from strong international support during his detention. This mobilisation certainly played a part in his release, as he was eventually able to return to Sweden on 17 May while awaiting trial, just in time for the birth of his first child. We talked to Joakim as he prepares for his first hearing, scheduled on…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and more than 100 media and journalists’ organisations have jointly called for the United States Government to withdraw its recent proposal to drastically shorten visas for foreign journalists. The current I visa framework, which typically allows for stays of up to five years, has for decades ensured that international journalists can report accurately on rolling and breaking  news in the United States.   By spending years, not months, on the ground, journalists gain the deep knowledge, trusted networks and contextual immersion needed to explain America to global audiences. This  serves a critical U.S. interest: ensuring…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today in calling on the European Union to step up its action against Google following the European Commission’s decision to impose a 2.95 billion euro fine on the company for anti-competitive practices through its dominance of the online advertising and advertising technology (adtech) services. The Commission found that Google breached EU antitrust rules by distorting competition in the adtech industry to favour its own digital advertising services, which disadvantaged other adtech services, advertisers, and online publishers – which includes news media outlets. In addition to the fine, the…

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen voiced strong support for media freedom and journalism in her State of the Union address to the European Parliament on 10 September 2025. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the announcement of a new ‘Media Resilience Programme’ and calls for journalists’ social and professional rights to be included and recognised as essential for quality journalism. “We need to do more to protect our media and independent press. This is why we will launch a new ‘Media Resilience Programme’. It will support independent journalism and media literacy.” While the next EU long-term budget…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the International Press Institute (IPI) and 15 press freedom organisations in strongly condemning the elongated pretrial detention of journalist Furkan Karabay, who faces a prison sentence of 6 to 15 years and call for his immediate release. Karabay has now spent 117 days in prison over his journalistic commentary. Karabay, who has previously worked as an editor and reporter for news portals outlets such as Gerçek Gündem and 10Haber, has been held in pretrial detention for over 100 days and his indictment was prepared on September 5. He is charged with “making targets…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), together with the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), strongly condemns the conduct of law enforcement officers of Serbia’s Ministry of Interior (MUP), who, during last night’s student protest in Novi Sad, used excessive force against students and citizens and obstructed journalists in the performance of their work. Several journalists were attacked, prevented from reporting, or subjected to ID checks and searches without legal grounds. Among the documented cases by NUNS, Emir Kahrimanović (021.rs) was reporting from the riverside quay as police charged the crowd. In footage he recorded, he can be heard repeatedly…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in expressing serious concern over the threat of political interference in the operations of the United Group’s media outlets in Serbia, which owns the major independent television news channels that are active in Serbia, N1 and Nova TV. On 27 August 2025, new information revealed by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and published in collaboration with the investigative outlet KRIK suggested that Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić intends to undermine the independence of N1 and Nova TV. A leaked recording emerged of…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in condemning the five-day broadcast blackout imposed on TELE1 since September 1, and the escalating use of censorship sanctions by RTÜK, Turkey’s broadcast regulator, against independent critical media outlets. We urge authorities to stop targeting critical and opposing views and uphold media pluralism in line with democratic standards. On July 24, 2025, Turkey’s broadcast regulator RTÜK imposed severe penalties against critical broadcasters, including a temporary broadcast blackout and hefty administrative fines targeting TELE1. The punishment was based on remarks by the channel’s editor-in-chief Merdan…

In the run-up to the Czech parliamentary elections on 3 and 4 October 2025, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) supports this ten priority recommendations to political parties aimed at preventing undue restrictions on media freedom and access to information, but also increasing the protection of Czech and exiled journalists, strengthening the independence of public service media, as well as establishing fair and transparent conditions for the functioning of the media market. These recommendations are needed for media freedom to be maintained and improved in Czechia, ranked 10th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2025 World Press Freedom Index. Developed…