Belarusian former journalist Larysa Shchyrakova was detained in the city of Homel, RFE/RL Belarus reported on 7 December 2022. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls for her immediate release. “The reasons and circumstances of her detention are still unknown. She is in pre-trial detention, and her son Sviataslau is in a shelter for children. Larysa has not been engaged in any public or journalistic activities in recent years,” said the RLE/RF Belarus source. Larysa Shchyrakova is a well-known journalist who stopped her journalistic activities in 2021 due to threats of arrest. The schoolteacher-turned-journalist worked for a number of independent…

Update (10.01.2023): The Dutch media regulator has granted a licence to Russian independent channel Dozhd, after Latvia revoked the broadcaster’s permit. Dozhd said it would move its editorial offices to Amsterdam and will contest Latvian authorities’ decision to strip it of the license.   The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today in expressing serious concern over the decision by Latvia’s National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) to revoke the broadcast license of exiled independent Russian TV station Dozhd, which is based in Riga. Given the clear implications for media freedom,…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) supports the work of the Lithuanian Journalists’ Union (LŽS) and media organisations active in the country to maintain the media self-regulation system in place, against the will of the Culture Committee of Parliament of Republic of Lithuania and to reshuffle it in favour of more space for public broadcaster. In an attempt to restrict self-regulation mechanisms, the Cultural Committee, in unison with the public broadcaster LRT (the largest media group in Lithuania), had put forward the Public Information Amendments, a proposal to reorganise the internal structure of the self-regulation systems in place in the…

In the past month in Serbia, several journalists have been targeted by serious threats raising fears for their physical safety. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the Media Freedom Rapid Response partners and the Safe Journalists Network in condemning in the strongest terms the intimidation and often orchestrated campaigns by pro-government media outlets and members of the public to silence journalists. The undersigned organisations urge the authorities to take the necessary measures to ensure their protection and prevent further threats. The latest shocking threat reported on 1 December 2022 targeted Nova S TV’s journalist Jelena Obucina. Obucina received messages…

The Riksdag, Sweden’s highest decision-making body, recently voted through a new law on public espionage. As of 1 January 2023, “foreign espionage”, “aggravated foreign espionage” and “disclosure of secret information in the framework of international cooperation” will be considered as part of the penal code in Swedish legislation following the amendments to two of the four countries’ Constitutional Laws – the Freedom of the Press Act and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression. We spoke to the Legal Advisor of the Swedish Union of Journalists (SJF) Tove Carlén about the impact on journalists and their sources. How does the new…

On this Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its affiliate the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) in encouraging you to send a letter to the 32 journalists and media workers currently in prison in Belarus. 27 November marks the Global Day of Solidarity with Belarusian Political Prisoners. The number of political prisoners in Belarus is growing with now near 1,450; up from 1,000 in February. The war in Ukraine and solidarity of Belarusians and civil society with Ukraine grant new reasons for the Lukashenka’s regime to target ordinary civilians and journalists.…