A major prisoner exchange between Russia and the west is under way today involving at least four journalists: Alsu Kurmasheva, Evan Gershkovich, Vladimir Kara-Murza and Pablo Gonzalez. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) welcomes their release, condemns hostage-taking tactics and calls on Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Turkey to free the 137 other journalists currently behind bars in Europe. According to the Turkish authorities, 26 people from prisons in seven different countries were exchanged in Ankara, under the coordination of the Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT). The prisoners are from the US, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia, and Belarus.…

On 1 August, Georgia’s bill on Transparency of Foreign Influence came into force, posing a severe threat to press freedom and democracy, with the potential to criminalise journalists and independent media. The International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) strongly condemn this oppressive legislation, highlight its potential to be weaponised against critics of the government, and urge the authorities to immediately and unconditionally withdraw it. After Georgia’s controversial bill on Transparency and Foreign Influence came into force on 1 August, all media and civil society organisations receiving more than 20% of its funding from abroad are mandated to register as…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) undersigned a statement with 14 human rights and media freedom organisations, expressing that the European Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law Report misleads readers about the state of the rule of law in Greece. This comes at a time when media freedom and civic space face dire threats and attacks. The overly positive account in the report starkly contrasts an alarming reality experienced by journalists, activists, and civil society organisations on the ground, and a growing international concern over the deterioration of the rule of law in the country. This was already highlighted by 17 human…

This is a black week for press freedom in Greece, where on Wednesday a court acquitted the two suspects accused of murdering journalist Giorgos Karaivaz in 2021. The previous day, on Tuesday, the Greek supreme court ruled out any possibility of prosecution against the state and its security service in connection with the illegal wiretapping scandal Predatorgate. Impunity remains the norm in Greece A Greek court acquitted two men who had faced charges of killing a prominent crime journalist. On 9 April 2021, investigative journalist Giorgos Karaivaz was returning home from a daytime show on STAR TV when he was…

On 26 July 2024, Iman Sefati, journalist for the BILD newspaper, was ambushed and threatened with a knife after he spent the day reporting on a peaceful demonstration in Berlin. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its German affiliates, dju in ver.di and the German Journalists Association (DJV), in condemning this violent attack and calling for legal action against the perpetrators.  Iman Sefati was covering the Dyke March, a demonstration in favor of lesbian visibility in Berlin-Neukölln as a video reporter. Later that day, as the reporter was about to leave his private residence, he was approached by a…

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) coalition welcomes the publication of the 2024 European Commission’s rule of law report. Despite progress made in some areas, the report shows that press freedom remains under threat in Europe. We urge Member States and the European Union to intensify their efforts to uphold media freedom and reinforce their roles in safeguarding this pillar of democracy. The release of the fifth annual rule of law report, the last one during the Commission’s current term, provides a critical opportunity to evaluate press freedom and democratic governance across EU Member States.  We warmly welcome the fact…