The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners joined the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) in expressing deep concern and solidarity with over 200 journalists and media workers affected by the sudden announcement of the closure of Al Jazeera Balkans after 14 years of continuous operation. This is not merely the end of a respected regional media outlet—it is a serious blow to media pluralism, freedom of expression, and the public’s right to be informed across the Western Balkans. For over a decade, Al Jazeera Balkans was a synonym for  professional, independent, and quality journalism, covering vital political, economic, and social issues from…

The independent television channel N1’s editorial staff, regularly threatened for their critical reporting, recently faced a frightening shift from online violence to offline threats within the newsroom. Among them, a threatening letter reminding N1 of the 2015 terrorist attack at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo that killed 12 journalists and media workers, was addressed to the staff. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ), joined their Serbian members in urging the Ministry of Interior for police protection of the independent television channel N1 whose security needs to be stepped up. The evident escalation occurred after the President of…

The undersigned journalists and media freedom organisations are profoundly appalled by the new attacks against journalists across Serbia, many of which are perpetrated by state representatives and law enforcement authorities. The situation of emergency of media freedom in Serbia – as assessed by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) during its April solidarity mission – has not only persisted but significantly deteriorated at alarming speed, despite our repeated warnings and recommendations.  As of 11 July, the Mapping Media Freedom platform, has documented a total of 95 cases of press freedom violations against 184 journalists, media outlets, and journalists associations in…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the undersigned Media Freedom Rapid Response partners and Council of Europe Safety of Journalists Platform members in expressing support for their colleague Flutura Kusari, Senior Legal Advisor at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), ahead of her forthcoming legal action against Mentor Llugaliu. We call on the Basic Prosecution of Prishtina in Kosovo to conduct a swift, impartial, and thorough investigation into the case. On March 21, 2025, Kusari filed a criminal report against Mentor Llugaliu, an online activist and supporter of Kosovo’s ruling party, the Vetevendosje Movement, accusing him…

The process for the appointment of new members to the council of Serbia’s media regulator has again been conducted in a non-transparent and discriminatory manner, in clear violation of Serbian legislation, making a mockery of democratic media reforms demanded by the European Union, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) said today with partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and SafeJournalists Network. Last week, candidates and nominator organisations which are independent of the government pulled out of the process for appointing new members of the Council of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM), Serbia’s most important media regulator.…

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium published an updated report on the state of media freedom in Croatia following an advocacy mission to Zagreb between 19 to 21 May 2025. The purpose of the mission was to assess the government’s progress in implementing recommendations made following the MFRR online fact-finding mission in September 2024, and to identify new and emerging threats to media freedom and independent journalism. During the three-day visit, the delegation engaged with a diverse range of stakeholders, including journalists, publishers, media leaders, representatives from journalist associations and unions, and key institutional actors such as the Ministry of Culture…