The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) join partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) in strongly condemning the escalating and systematic attacks on journalists and NGOs in Serbia, where violence, obstruction, and intimidation are being tolerated and perpetrated at the highest levels of government.  In the aftermath of the deadly collapse of the roof of the Novi Sad railway station on 1 November 2024, journalists have come under unacceptable pressure while covering the tragic story and the subsequent protests. The majority of incidents logged on the Mapping Media Freedom platform are instances of…

Voices Festival 2025, held in Zagreb from 27 February to 1 March, was a time for celebration and reflection but also an opportunity to express solidarity with journalists deprived of their freedom in Belarus or forced to live in exile. The film “Under the Gray Sky,” directed by Mara Tamkovich, was screened on 28 February. The movie depicts the story of Belarusian journalists Katsiaryna Andreyeva and Darya Chultsova, who were imprisoned for reporting on protests in Minsk’s Square of Changes in 2020. Following the screening, director Mara Tamkovich met the audience and answered questions about the realities of working in…

European social partners in the audiovisual sector published their Framework of Actions on diversity and inclusion, on 26 February 2025. The document puts forward recommendations for actions by employers’ and workers’ organisations, as well as other relevant stakeholders, such as educational institutions. Recommendations are grouped in four chapters that address: the pathways into the sector; inclusive workplaces and work processes; diversity on screen; and monitoring processes. The list of suggested actions is not exhaustive but a guiding framework to be adapted and adjusted depending on each organisation, its size, its mission, and the territories it operates in. All sector organisations are however invited to take some action…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned international media freedom and journalist groups today in raising concerns over a planned “political neutrality” audit recently approved by the supervisory body of the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) and warn that the measure could negatively affect editorial independence at the public broadcaster. Our organisations jointly question the need for such an action by the LRT Council Committee and warn that rather than improve political neutrality it could instead lead to self-censorship by journalists and management at the broadcaster. As press freedom organisations working at the EU level, we note…

The European and the International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) join their Ukrainian affiliates, in condemning the killing of Ukrainian journalist Tetiana Kulyk, a member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), by a Russian drone attack in the Kyiv region on 26 February 2025.  Two days after the third anniversary of the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, journalist Tetyana Kulyk of the Ukrinform news agency and her husband, Pavlo Ivanchov, were killed in their home by a Russian drone, in the Bucha district of Kyiv Oblast. According to Ukrinform, rescuers found the two dead bodies while extinguishing the…

Azerbaijan is continuing its repression by arresting more journalists and creating an environment in which media that are not aligned with the government cannot operate untroubled. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) condemn the latest moves by the Azerbaijani authorities to further control the information space, and call for the immediate release of the detained journalists. The last few weeks have seen yet another level of repression by the Azerbaijani authorities with the detention of several journalists and the closure of the BBC News office in Baku. On 21 February, a court sentenced journalist Nurlan Gahramanli (known as…