The freelance photojournalist was killed in Idlib governate while he was embedded with the Free Idlib army, an armed group opposed a local opposition armed to the Syrian regime. According to various reports, the group came under a missile attack, which killed the journalist along with several fighters.
Journalists' safety, Syria, IFJ, Impunity
[UPDATED, 1ST JULY] The government of Somaliland today ordered the suspension of two independent private TV stations Eryal and Horyaal. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemned the decision as an attempt to silence critical voices.
Eryal TV and Horyaal TV were shut down following a written order issued by Somaliland Minister of Information Mohamed Musse Dirie. Horyaal TV was forced to stop operating when armed forces entered its headquarters. Eryal TV complied with the order and stopped broadcasting.
Both channels are independent media, critical of the local government. They are accused of “interfering in the…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today joined the call for the release of Gaspar Matalaev, a Turkmen journalist working for Alternative Turkmenistan News, who has spent nearly three years in detention over the publication of a report exposing child and forced labour in Turkmenistan.
According to media reports, the journalist was arrested on 4th October 2016, two days after his article had appeared in Alternative Turkmenistan News about state-sponsored child and forced labour programme during cotton harvests in the country.
He was charged with fraud and handed a three years jail term, but his trial was widely condemned as falling short of international…
Following a week of unrest and some of the largest demonstrations in Hong Kong’s history, Chief Executive (CE) of Hong Kong Carrie Lam announced on Saturday that the controversial extradition bill will be suspended. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urges the Hong Kong government to withdraw the bill and hold discussions with stakeholders and society.
CE Lam made the announcement following days of large scale protests in Hong Kong, which also blocked access to the city’s parliament. On June 12, several journalists and protesters were injured when police fired tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowds. Despite the announcement by CE Lam, over two million people took…
On June 16, Sri Lankan journalist Kusal Perera was faced with charges for commenting on the development of religious rivalries after the April 21 Easter Sunday attack. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Free Media Movement (FMM) strongly crticise attempts to pursue legal action against the Sri Lankan journalist.
Perera writes a weekly column for the Daily Mirror, and in the May 17 edition titled “From Islamic terrorism to marauding Sinhala Buddhist violence” he outlined the rise of Sinhala-Buddhist extremism pursuing anti-Muslim behavior. Following its release Sri Lanka’s Organised Crime Division reported to the Colombo Magistrate Courts for actions to…
Every week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned.
Read some of the news highlights from Saturday, June 8th to Friday, June 14th 2019:
1) Nepali Journalists Protest Against Media Council Bill, Demand Immediate Withdrawal, News18
2) IFJ: Tunis Congress very important for Arab media, Kuwait News Agency
3) IFJ: Tunis Congress very important for Arab media, MENAFN
4) “Vague” wording on Civil Protection Law may restrict freedom of speech – Legislator, Macau Business
5) GJA President Attends IFJ Congress In Tunis, Modern Ghana
6) Tunisia: GJA…
El Congreso de la Federación Internacional de Periodistas (FIP), reunido en Túnez del 10 al 14 de junio, aprobó hoy por unanimidad una moción instando a los sindicatos latinoamericanos a comprometer el apoyo de sus Estados a la Convención Internacional sobre la Seguridad y la Independencia de los/as Periodistas.
El texto, propuesto por Federación de Periodistas de América Latina y el Caribe (FEPALC), dibuja una situación alarmante de los y las periodistas en Latinoamérica-Caribe. Un tercio de los y las periodistas y trabajadores/as de los medios asesinados/as en 2018 en el mundo fueron victimados/as en esta región, a pesar de no vivir una guerra convencional pero que tiene países como…
Here is the list of the IFJ board including the 5 administrative committee members and the 16 advisers elected on 13th June 2019 as well as the list of reserve members as elected on 14th June in Tunis.
Administrative Committee
President: Youness M'Jahed (Morocco)
Senior Vice-President: Zuliana Lainez (Peru)
Vice Presidents: Sabina Inderjit (India) and Timur Shaffir (Russia)
Honorary Treasurer: Jim Boumelha (UK)
Advisors
Nasser Abubaker (Palestine)
Moauad Allami (Iraq)
Paco Audije (Spain)
Maria José Braga (Brazil)
Sofia Branco (Portugal)
Ian Chen (Taiwan)
Maria Luisa De Carvalho (Angola)
Zied…
On June 9 over 1 million people took to the streets of Hong Kong to protest against the proposed extradition law that was about to be debated in the Hong Kong Parliament. On Wednesday, June 12, protesters again took to the street, blocking access to the Legislative Council where the debate was to take place, as a result the debate as been postponed. The IFJ China Coordinator has written about about the protests and the implications for the media.
Hong Kong, 12 June 2019:
It was a day that most Hongkonger’s couldn’t concentrate on their work at all, even they were still in their office physically.
It was supposed to be the day of the 'Second Reading' debate on the controversial…
El 12 de junio fue asesinado por sicarios el periodista y locutor de la emisora comunitaria Samaniego Estéreo, del departamento de Nariño. El crimen se da en el marco de un recrudecimiento de la violencia en el departamento, donde durante el año 2019 fueron asesinadxs 18 líderes sociales y defensorxs de derechos humanos.
Libardo Montenegro, periodista y comunicador comunitario con más de 20 años de trayectoria, se encontraba al frente del programa matinal El Despertador, de la emisora Samaniego Estéreo. La radio donde Montenegro trabajaba forma parte de la iniciativa Radios Para la Paz, plataforma que busca fortalecer la presencia de medios comunitarios a través de propuestas vinculadas a…
Today 254 IFJ delegates convening in Tunis for their World Congress elected Younes M’Jahed of Morocco as their new President.
Younes M'Jahed is a journalist at Ittihad Ichtirak. He first joined the IFJ Executive Committee as an advisor at its Recife Congress in 1998. He was further elected as Vice president at IFJ congress in Moscow in 2007, and then as Senior Vice -president at IFJ Congress in Dublin in June 2013 and subsequently re-elected in Angers in 2016 .
He also serves as General Secretary of the Syndicat national de la presse marocaine (SNPM ) and was recently elected as President of the National Press Council in Morocco.
Younes M’Jahed is taking over…
IFJ World Congress meeting in Tunis from 11th to 14th June adopted a motion proposed by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) to condemn the continuous violations of press freedom in the Palestinian occupied territories.
In recent years the IFJ has frequently denounced violence against Palestinian journalists, including killings by the Israeli Security forces of Yasir Murtaja and Ahmed Abu Hussain in 2018.
In November 2018 IFJ Executive Committee members stood at the Qalandia checkpoint in Ramallah in support of Palestinian journalists and for tge recognition of the IFJ press card in Israel. They were brutally attacked by Israeli soldiers.
The PJS’s Freedoms Committee…
Delegates at the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) World Congress today backed a motion to promote the IFJ campaign for a UN Convention on the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals.
The campaign was launched in response to rising anger over continued impunity in the face increasing attacks on journalists and media professionals around the world. 95 were killed in 2018 and yet nine in ten cases remain unpunished.
The Convention aims to put an end to this situation by introducing binding norms establishing safeguards for media workers specifically, addressing loopholes in humanitarian law (for instance on the risk of miscategorising the act of reporting as an act of…
Russian authorities detained on Wednesday 11 June hundreds of people, including at least 10 journalists, following a protest in Moscow in support of investigative journalist Ivan Golunov. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) joined their affiliate in Russia, the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ), in asking for immediate release of all detained journalists.
Today's unsanctioned march was initially called to press for the release of Meduza journalist Ivan Golunov who was freed on 12 June. Demonstrators were calling for punishment of police officers involved in Golunov's arrest on 6th June on drug-dealing accusations. Golunov always denied the allegation…
El día 11 de junio, Norma Sarabia Garduza fue asesinada en la puerta de su domicilio por hombres armados que le dispararon desde una motocicleta. Su muerte asciende a siete el número de periodistas asesinadxs en México durante el año 2019.
Norma Sarabia, comunicadora y corresponsal del diario Tabasco Hoy (donde trabajó por 15 años cubriendo la situación de violencia en Huimanguillo) fue asesinada por presuntos sicarios cuando ingresaba a su domicilio. Según reportes del Sindicato Nacional de Redactores de la Prensa (SNRP) de México, la periodista tenía antecedentes de amenazas de muerte, motivo por el cual en los últimos tiempos la mayoría de sus notas eran publicadas sin su…
The 20-year veteran journalist who presented the morning program El Despertador of the Samaniego Estéreo radio station Estéreo, based in the department of Nariño, was murdered by hired assassins. The community radio station where Montenegro worked is part of the initiative Radios Para la Paz, a platform that seeks to strengthen the presence of community media through proposals linked to peace and culture.
The crime took place in the context of an upsurge in violence in the department, where 18 social leaders and human rights defenders were murdered in 2019.
Journalists' safety, Colombia, IFJ, Impunity
IFJ gender council members elected on 11th June their new executive committee.
The vote took place as the council convened for its general meeting on the side of IFJ Congress in Tunis.
Spanish journalist Maria Angeles Samperio from FAPE was elected as chair while Tunisian Faouzia Ghiloufi from SNJT becomes vice-chair of the steering committee.
Members also elected 2 representative for each IFJ region.
The first meeting of the newly elected committee will be held this autumn.
Elected members of hte IFj Gender Council Steering committee (2019-2022)
Chair
Maria Angeles Samperio Martin (FAPE – Spain)
Vice-Chair
Ghiloufi Faouzia (Tunisia)
Secretary
Maria Beatriz Perez Sanchez…
Since Saturday, June 8, four journalists have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh for sharing a video deemed to be ‘defaming’ the chief minister on Twitter. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) have condemned the arbitrary arrest and detention of the journalists and demanded an immediate investigation.
On June 8, freelance journalist Prashant Kanojia shared a video on Twitter of a woman claiming that she proposed marriage to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Prashant was arrested for ‘defaming’ the chief minister. Since then, the Uttar Pradesh police arrested three more journalists, Anuj Shukla and Ishita Singh of Nation Live, a…
Philippe Leruth delivered his last speech today as President of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to the 254 delegates meeting at the World Congress in Tunis.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Dear Friends,
I would like first of all to welcome you to Tunis for this first Congress of the International Federation of Journalists organized on the African continent and in the Arab world. It is therefore a congress that will mark the history of the IFJ, but it will not be a past congress quite the contrary: the reflection on journalism in the digital age focuses on the future of a profession faced with the emergence on the Web of many so-called journalists, against whom professional…
El periodista Rospide Petion fue atacado por personas armadas y asesinado a balazos el día 10 de junio, cuando conducía a su domicilio luego de dirigir un programa radial. Su muerte se da en el marco de una escalada de violencia en el país caribeño, donde la policía se encuentra reprimiendo con dureza las manifestaciones contra el presidente Jovenel Moïse.
Rospide Petion ejercía su profesión en la ciudad de Puerto Príncipe, donde desde emisora privada Radio Sin Fin (RsF) se dedicaba al análisis político de coyuntura.
Desde la Federación Internacional de Periodistas (FIP), nos unimos a nuestra organización afiliada, la Association des Journalistes Haïtiens (AJH), en exigir a las…
Today is Philippe Leruth last day as president of the IFJ. In this video he shares his thoughts on his legacy, the future of the IFJ and the future of journalism.
UPDATED 22 OCTOBER 2020 Journalist Ivan Golunov was arrested in Russia on 6th June on drug-dealing accusations, causing a public outcry that prompted the authorities to drop all the charges against him on 11th June. While welcoming this decision, the International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) call on the government to stop harassing journalists.
Ivan Golunov is a reporter for the independent Meduza news website. He is well known for his work investigating corruption among Moscow city officials. He showed how relatives of Moscow’s deputy mayor Pyotr Biryukov earned billions on city contracts, amassing a fortune in real estate.
Police said Golunov was carrying…
The correspondent for Tabasco Hoy newspaper based in Huimanguillo was gunned down outside her home by two unidentified gunmen on a motorbike.
The veteran journalist, who had worked at the newspaper for 15 years covering violence in Huimanguillo and had received death threats, was shot dead as she was arriving home. According to the Sindicato Nacional de Redactores de la Prensa (SNRP), an IFJ affiliate, Ms Garduza had recently stopped signing most of her reports in her name.
Journalists' safety, Mexico, Impunity, IFJ
Filipino journalist Fidelina Margarita Valle was arrested June 9, released nine hours later is a case of ‘mistaken identity’. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in condemning the arrest and demanding a thorough investigation of how and why she was detained.
Fidelina Margarita Valle, a columnist with Davao Today, was at the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental province, about to board a flight when he was detained by officers from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). She was detained for nine hours in Pagadian City, about 200 kilometres away from Laguindingan Airport. Upon…
As over a million people took to the streets of Hong Kong to protest the government’s controversial extradition bill on June 9, a number of journalists were blocked and barred from covering the protests. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) have condemned the actions of police in obstructing the media in covering the protests.
According to HKJA in the early hours of June 10, police started moving protesters who remained outside the Legislative Council building. Several journalists were also in the area covering the protests, local police referred to the media as ‘rubbish’, pointing their flashlights at the cameras…
The journalist for Radio Sin Fin (RsF), a private radio based in Port-au-Prince was attacked by armed men and shot dead while driving home after presenting a radio programme. His death comes in the context of an escalation of violence in the Caribbean country, where police are harshly repressing demonstrations against President Jovenel Moïse.
Radio Sin Fin (RsF) focuses on political analysis of the situation in the Caribbean nation.
Journalists' safety, Haiti, IFJ, Impunity
Ahead of IFJ Congress in Tunis, the IFJ shares stories illustrating how unions can shape a better future for journalists in the digital era. We spoke with Lauren Strapagiel,Buzzfeed breaking news reporter, about their successful unionisation campaign at Buzzfeed Canada
Many editorial staff at BuzzFeed’s Toronto operation are now officially members of the Canadian Media Guild, CWA.You were one of the employees that kicked off this unionisation drive. What made you take that initiative?
I actually started exploring unionisation more than a year ago. I was inspired by seeing other union drives, like at Vice Canada, but I also just fundamentally believe organizing is a useful tool for any…
Every week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned.
Read some of the news highlights from Saturday, June 1st to Friday, June 7th 2019:
1) Africa: 30th IFJ Congress Kicks Off Next Week in Tunis, AllAfrica
2) Federal Police raid ABC offices in Sydney over 2017 story about Afghanistan, a day after Annika Smethurst search, News.com
3) NPU to seek IFJ’s support to pressure govt, The Himalayan Times
4) Tunisia to host 30th Congress of International Federation of Journalists, Panapress
5) 30th IFJ Congress kicks off next week in Tunis, Press Club…
Journalist Mohammad Tawfiq al-Saghir was arrested in Syria on 4 May, allegedly by an armed group controlling the north-east of Syria. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the Syrian Journalists Union (SJU) in condemning this violation of press freedom and calling for his immediate release.
Mohammad Tawfiq al-Saghir is Al-Ikhbariya TV’s correspondent in Al-Hasakah, north-east of the country, a city that is currently under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The SJU condemned the “kidnapping” of Mohammad Tawfiq al-Saghir.
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “Our colleague was detained simply for doing his job of covering the news. The SDF…
Not only do Facebook and Google capture an overwhelming share of the advertising market, but also most of their profits are not taxed anywhere.
Ahead of IFJ Congress in Tunis, the IFJ shares stories illustrating digital challenges and how unions can shape a better future for journalists.
According to a report by the think tank Taxwatch in 2018, Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft and Cisco, generated UK profits in 2017-18 of more than £6.6bn, but paid a combined tax bill of £191m (£49m for Google and £16m for Facebook) – as opposed to the £1bn they ought to have contributed.
A report published by two Dutch MEPs in September 2017 said Google, which declares its EU revenue in Ireland, paid…
From 21 to 30 June 2019, the second European Games will take place in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus. The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) published some guidelines for journalists covering the sports event related to accreditations, security measures and safe communications.
The memos are available in English and Belarusian.
“We hope, the guidelines will contribute to better safety of our colleagues who may face problems covering the games,” said Aleh Aheyeu, BAJ deputy chairperson and head of BAJ Legal Center for Protection of the Media.
“We would also like to offer BAJ services and assistance to foreign journalists in case they encounter problems related to their…
Australia’s public broadcaster, ABC had its Sydney offices raided today by Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers, the day after AFP raided the house of a News Corp senior political journalist. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance have condemned the raids and called on the government to take a stand to end the emerging pattern against press freedom.
On Wednesday morning, AFP officers served the ABC legal team with a warrant to search through email systems in relation to the people mentioned in the search warrant and were searching "data holdings" between April 2016 and July 2017. Three AFP IT officers are currently in…
The 30th World Congress of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) will take place 11-14th June in Tunis. Over 300 participants representing journalists unions and associations across the world will attend the Congress which will put the future of journalism in the digital age at the top of its agenda.
The Congress, which will be the first to be held on the African continent, will kick off on Tuesday 11 with a pre-conference involving top-level debates on three key issues: the future of journalism in the digital age, good trade union practices around the world and the situation of journalism in the Middle East after the Arab Revolutions. All panels will include leading…
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the public broadcaster allegedly pulled a radio news story following complaints from mining company, Adani. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) strongly criticized the decision to the pull the story and demand an investigation.
On June 3, the ABC program Media Watch reported that a radio news story for ABC Radio AM had been pulled following a complaint from Adani. The decision to pull the report came from ABC management. Adani is an Indian mining company that is currently in the final stages of opening a mine in northern Australia.
MEAA union delegates issued…
The Sri Lanka media were blocked from live proceedings of the Parliament Select Committee (PSC) on May 29, which was probing the Easter Sunday attacks. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Free Media Movement (FMM) have strongly criticized the change is decision to bar the media and called for the decision to be revised.
Initially, the PSC had agreed to open the proceedings to the media as it met to probe the Easter Sunday attacks, in which 258 people were killed on April 21. The proceedings were open to the public and being broadcast on PEO TV, however the live telecast was suspended. Reports suggested that suspension was due to political…
A new report by the Uyghur Human Rights Project documents the detention of at least 58 journalists in the Xinjiang region in China. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the detention of the journalists and welcomed the report by the Uyghur Human Rights Project.
In the recent report, Detained and Disappeared: Intellectuals Under Assault in the Uyghur Homeland the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) revealed that 58 journalists, editors and publishers from the Xinjiang region have been detained or disappeared since March 2017, which coincides with the adoption of the Regulations on De-extremification. According to various reports, people have been tortured in…
On June 4, Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers raided the home of News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst over a story she wrote in April 2018. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) have strongly condemned the raid calling it an outrageous attack on press freedom.
On Tuesday morning, Annika was about to leave for work, when AFP officers arrived at her home with a search warrant, granting them authority to access her home, computer and mobile phone. The raid was linked to story written by Annika in April 2018 on a top secret government proposal to give Australia's cyber spies unprecedented powers, including…
Australian media outlet News Corp has announced that it will cut 55 editorial positions, targeting journalists that lack digital skills. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) have strongly criticized the move by News Corp management, arguing that they have failed to adequately train their workforce for the changing media landscape.
On Monday, News Corp management held staff meetings at mastheads across Australia and told staff that ‘big cuts’ would be coming within days. According to reports, staff were told that redundancies were not voluntary and instead would be based on an assessment of the skills needed in…
Mohammed Rizvi Maharoof was released following a week-long detention, after his arrest under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in late May. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Free Media Movement (FMM) is strongly condemning the arrest and detention of Maharoof on baseless charges, and demand an investigation into his arrest.
In late May, police conducted a search operation of a building owned by Maharoof. He was arrested after police claimed they had found materials of Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) who have been accused of carrying out the Easter Sunday attacks in April 2019.
Quickly following his arrest, Maharoof was presented to the courts and placed in…
Jang reporter Shahid Sultan’s home in Rawalpindi in Pakistan was stormed by police in the early hours of May 24, 2019. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) have strongly criticised the raid and demand justice for the wrongful entry and terrorising of Shahid Sultan’s family
According to the police report filed by Shahid Sultan on May 27, at 2.30am on May 24 police stormed his residence. Shahid’s two young son’s had their bedroom door broken, and were brought out of the room at gunpoint by police officers. Shahid was also held at gunpoint.
Shahid Sultan repeatedly asked the officers what they wanted and the reason for the…
La Mauritanie devient ce vendredi 31 mai le sixième pays à signer la Déclaration sur la liberté de la presse dans le monde arabe, en présence du ministre de la Culture Sidi Mohamed Ould Maham et du président de la Fédération internationale des journalistes (FIJ) Philippe Leruth. Elle s’engage de ce fait à défendre et à promouvoir la liberté de la presse.
Le gouvernement se joint ainsi aux dizaines de journalistes, de syndicalistes et d’organisations de défense des droits de l’homme qui avaient endossé la déclaration au mois de janvier 2018 à Nouakchott.
La FIJ accueille très favorablement cette décision et salue le travail de ses affiliés, l’Association des Journalistes de…
Every week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned.
Read some of the news highlights from Saturday, May 25th to Friday, May 31st 2019:
1) Sky News journalists 'deliberately targeted and attacked' while reporting from Syria, Press Gazette
2) Pope Francis pays tribute to journalists, Manila Bulletin
3) Kazakh Journalist, Free-Speech Campaigner Rozlana Taukina Dead At 60, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
4) IFJ concerned about civil protection bill, Macau Daily Times
5) International Federation of Journalists criticizes Macau’s fake news…
The Sudanese authorities have closed Al-Jazeera's office in Khartoum and withdrawn the work permits of all its staff members, the TV channel said. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Federation of African of Journalists (FAJ) have condemned the move against the Qatari broadcaster as an attack on freedom of information and called for an immediate end to the clampdown on media.
The decision was taken by the Sudanese military council following a protest outside the defence ministry in central Khartoum and which Al-Jazeera broadcast footage of.
“They told us that the military council had decided to close the Al-Jazeera network’s office and withdraw its licence. We…
Despite a court ordering his release on 21st May, Al-Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein is still being held in Egypt after the authorities launched a new investigation against him. He has already spent nearly 900 days in custody without any charge. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemns the decision as an outrageous violation of press freedom and fundamental human rights.
A Qatar-based journalist and an Egyptian national, Mahmoud Hussein was initially arrested on 23rd December 2016, while on vacation with his family. Since then he has been detained facing accusations of “incitement against state institutions and broadcasting false news with the aim of spreading…
Representatives of parliaments, regulatory authorities, civil sector and public service media in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia have agreed on common funding principles for PSM in the Western Balkans
The agreement – reached at a meeting on 28 May in Sarajevo and convened under the auspices of an IFJ-led programme - sets the best practice guidelines for regulating funding in line with European standards.
The principles aim to establish an independent, sustainable, adequate and predictable funding framework for the quality and future-driven functioning of public service media in the Western Balkans and of supporting countries'…
The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) join their Norwegian affiliate Norsk Journalistlag in condemning the US government’s decision to prosecute WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange under the Espionage Act.
"Uncovering secret or classified information relevant to the debate in society is at the heart of media's public mission. By publishing information that powerful stakeholders want to keep undisclosed, media can contribute to keep those in power accountable. It is therefore crucial that the publication of such material lies within the freedom of the media, even when authorities wish to keep the information undisclosed," says a statement issued today by the…
The IFJ has welcomed news that the "illegal" search warrants issued against two journalists are to be quashed.
Following two days in court, Lord Chief Justice Morgan has decided he is "minded to quash" the search warrants linked to the documentary film No Stone Unturned and the raids on the homes and office of NUJ members Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey.
The judge said the next step would be a "remedy" hearing on Friday this week.
Welcoming the indication by the High Court Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said:
"We welcome the decision of the High Court and eagerly await the formal quashing of the warrants on Friday. Three High Court judges have vindicated the…
A black banner referring to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and other activist groups as allies of the ‘terrorist NPA’ was found in Cagayan de Oro on Monday, May 27. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate NUJP Have condemned the banner and demanded an immediate investigation from authorities.
Members of the Cagayan de Oro Press Club found the banner as they gathered at the Press Freedom monument at the Provincial Capitol grounds to launch the commemoration of the 37th Press Freedom Week.
The banner red-tagged several organisations as terrorists including NUJP, the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM), the National Union of…
A journalist with local television station Channel Mandalay was arrested covering a protest at a cement factory on May 15. He remains in police custody. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has strongly criticised the arrest and ongoing detention of the journalist, demanding his immediate release.
According to the Myanmar Times, Nanda, a report with Channel Mandalay, was one of the four people who were detained by police after as they covered the protest at a cement factory in Aung Tha Pyay village in Patheingyi in central Myanmar.
The editor-in-chief of Channel Mandalay, U Min Din, has made a statement following the arrest. In the statement, he said that the company will…
Beijing-based citizen journalist Xie Qiang was arrested on April 27 for ‘picking quarrels and stirring up trouble’ and has not been heard from since. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) raises serious concerns about Xie’s wellbeing and whereabouts and call on the authorities to immediately confirm his location and grant his family access.
Xie Qiang, who uses the pen name Ma Xiao has been immunicado since April 27. According to Radio Free Asia, he received a phone call from police and has not been seen since. On May 4, his family received a notice confirming Xie had been arrested under the deliberately vague charge of ‘picking quarrels and stirring up trouble’.
Xie was a…
The Hong Kong government has tabled a bill to the Legislative Council, to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, which allows the transfer of “fugitives” from Hong Kong to Mainland China on a case by case basis. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) have raised serious concerns about the law, and possible threats to press freedom and freedom of expression in Hong Kong. The IFJ calls on the immediate withdrawal of the bill.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association, together with other 15 media organizations, issued a joint statement to oppose the bill and expressed their concern. The statement pointed out that, the…
The Macau government’s proposed Civil Protection Law which has been sent to the Legislative Assembly for discussions could have serious implications for press freedom in Macau if legislated. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Macau Portuguese and English Press Association (AIPIM) have raised serious concerns for the law and called for widespread consultation with media stakeholders to ensure press freedom is not impeded
Under the proposed legislation, Article 25 refers to ‘biased, unfounded and fake news’ which AIPIM said is subjective and open to interpretation.
In a statement, AIPIM said that during the initial public consultations Article 25 and…
The cameraman for the Chadian public broadcaster service was killed along with four Chadian soldiers when their vehicle hit a road mine in the east of the country. According to media reports, they were in the military convoy on its way to an army position which had been attacked by the militants of Boko Haram group in the locality of Ngounboua, in Lake Chad province. Nangbatna was seriously injured in the attack and died, reports added.
Journalists' safety, Chad, IFJ
The founder of Jornal O Maricá, a news website based in the coastal town of Maricá in Rio de Janeiro was shot dead outside his home by unidentified gunmen who knocked on his door and shot him six times from their car, according to media reports.
Giorno covered local news and politics, often reportedly denouncing corruption. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) quoted one of Giomo’s friends as saying that the journalist had received threats and bought a bullet-proof car, days before his killing.
Journalists' safety, Brazil, IFJ, Impunity
Every week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned.
Read some of the news highlights from Saturday, 18th May to Friday, 24th May 2019:
1) Press freedom at stake in Nepal: Journalists under probe for news about Dalai Lama, Business Standard
2) Standing for truth, Ghana News Agency
3) Media warns it could form independent regulatory body, The Himalayan Times
4) Nepali journalists protest against proposed media bill in Kathmandu, The Statesman
5) IFJ Welcomes Dismissal Of Charges Against Pakistani Journalist In Cyberterrorism Case, Urdu…
Yesterday a Sky News team from the United Kingdom was attacked with tank shells by Syrian regime's forces in a deliberate shelling in Idlib, the country's northwestern province.
The IFJ joins its affiliate the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in calling on the United Nations and the global community to urgently condemn the actions of the authorities in Syria for putting in danger the lives of the Sky News' crew.
The Sky team was reporting in the jihadists' controlled province of Idlib when they were spotted by a military drone and repeatedly shot at. The targeting of journalists continued even though they withdrew to the nearby town while an activist they were travelling with…
13 journalists working for Russian newspaper Kommersant -the whole politics desk- resigned in protest over the dismissal of two colleagues for reporting on a possible political shake-up in Moscow.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Russian affiliate, the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ), joined the wave of solidarity with the newspaper’s editorial staff and condemned the intervention of shareholders in editorial policy as a violation of freedom of information.
Leading journalists Maxim Ivanov and Ivan Safronov, who have worked for the paper for 10 years, wrote on April 17 an article about a possible shift of the speaker of the parliament's upper house.…
Quelques jours après avoir entendu trois journalistes au sujet d’une enquête sur l’utilisation d’armes françaises au Yémen, la Direction générale de la sécurité intérieure (DGSI) a convoqué deux autres journalistes, Ariane Chemin et Michel Despratx, dans le cadre de procédures différenciées. Les Fédérations internationale et européenne des journalistes (FIJ/FEJ) et leurs affiliés (SNJ, SNJ-CGT, CFDT) réitèrent leur ferme condamnation de ces "intimidations récurrentes".
Journaliste pour le site d’investigation Disclose, Michel Despratx est convoqué par la DGSI le 28 mai dans le cadre d’une enquête pour « compromission du secret de la défense nationale » suite à la publication d’une…
Journalists were attacked and social media was blocked, as protests broke out in central Jakarta on May 22. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the South East Asia Journalist Unions (SEAJU) join IFJ affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in condemning the attacks on media and the government-led social media blocks over the past 24 hours in Indonesia. The IFJ and SEAJU demand the authorities end the block on social media, and investigate the attacks.
On Wednesday, protesters gathered in central Jakarta near the Election Agency to denounce the presidential election result, which named incumbent Joko Widodo as the winner. The protests quickly turned violent,…
In the past week, three activists were arrested in Bangladesh under the country’s internet and digital security laws. The International Federation of Journalists strongly criticises the arrests and urge the authorities to show respect and protect freedom of speech as well as freedom of expression.
According to AFP, the three activists who have been arrested were prominent poet Henry Sawpon, lawyer, indigenous rights activist Imtiaz Mahmood and human rights activist Abdul Kaium. Kaium also edits an online news portal in his hometown northern city of Mymensingh. Sawpon and Mahmood were released on bail Thursday. Kaium remains in detention on charges of extortion and defamation under the…
A local court in Karachi has dismissed all charges against Pakistani journalist, Shahzeb Jillani, who had been accused of cyber-terrorism. The IFJ welcomed the decision which was reached after the court said their was insufficient evidence against him.
A local court in Karachi has dismissed all charges against Pakistani journalist, Shahzeb Jillani, who had been accused of cyber-terrorism. The IFJ welcomed the decision which was reached on May 18 after the court said their was insufficient evidence against him.
Shahzeb, a former BBC correspondent and local representative of the National Union of Journalists, had been facing a possible jail term of up to 14 years for his reporting on…
Journalists Keyvan Samimi and Marzieh Amiri were arrested in Iran on 1st and 2nd of May and are still being held according to IFJ affiliate, the Association of Iranian Journalists. The IFJ has demanded that the authorities release them immediately and stop harassing journalists.
Along with more than 35 other people, Keyvan Samimi was arrested while taking part in a peaceful protest in front of the Iranian Parliament in Teheran. On Labour Day, demonstrators were marching for the right to establish independent labour organisations, among other demands.
The chief editor of Iran Farda magazine, Samimi has already served six years in jail from 2009 to 2015 following the 2009…
En la madrugada del 16 de mayo encontraron asesinado, con signos de disparos por arma de fuego y golpes en el rostro, al fotógrafo y comunicador Francisco Romero en Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo. Su muerte representa el sexto crimen contra periodistas en México en lo que va del año y el segundo acontecido en dicho Estado.
Francisco Romero ejercía su labor en la ciudad de Playa del Carmen, donde cubría casos policiales (“notas rojas”) para su página de Facebook “Ocurrió Aquí”, y también colaboraba con distintos medios locales. En una de sus últimas publicaciones, el comunicador denunciaba y alertaba sobre el incremento de la violencia en la región y destacaba las amenazas a las que se…
IFJ affiliates in Asia Pacific held different activities, ranging from freedom festival to discussions and marches to celebrate the World Press Freedom Day 2019. Here’s the run down from the region:
Timor Leste Press Union (TLPU)
Timor-Leste Press Union together with Timor-Leste Journalists Association (AJTL) had a long march along the route of Liberdade Impress or the Press Freedom Street. They walked around 3 kilometers to spread the message on how importance to protect the freedom of the press in the country.
The journalists also visited the site where Sander Robert Thoenes, a journalists worked for Financial Times in Dili, killed on September 21, 1999 when East Timor at that time…
Every week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned.
Read some of the news highlights from Saturday, May 4th to Friday, May 10th 2019:
1) Population Control by Duterte, International Policy Digest
2) European Federation of Journalists adopts Estonian press freedom statement, ERR
3) Houthis abduct workers, release them with ransoms, Bald News
4) Israeli forces detain activist, journalists covering eviction of Palestinian families in northern Jordan Valley, Wafa
5) Recognizing Media As Foreign Agents First Step Toward Censorship - IFJ On US Ruling, Urdu Point
6)…
Freelance journalist Bryan Carmody’s house was searched by the San Francisco Police on May 10 after he refused to reveal his source. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the National Writers Union (NWU) condemn an illegal raid.
The raid was carried out by a dozen police officers armed with guns and sledgehammers. Bryan Carmody was handcuffed during six hours and the police seized about $30,000 worth of electronic devices, namely “everything he has ever worked on or that he is currently working on”, his lawyer said.
According to the NWU, the police was looking for the source who provided Camrody with a leaked report on the death of the city’s public…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined their affiliate, the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers (JUADN), in condemning the arson attack on Greek investigative journalist Mina Karamitrou’s car.
The car, parked in the Athens suburb Papagou outside Karamitrou’s home, was set on fire on 14 May 2019 at about 2:30 a.m. by a flammable liquid. According to local news reports nobody was injured. Karamitrou is a well known police reporter for CNN’s Greek edition. According to the Greek news website Skai, the police has opened an investigation on the case. Up to now, the assailants remain unknown.
CNN…
The body of the photojournalist, who had received death threats and was admitted into the national mechanism for the protection of journalists and human rights defenders of the Interior Ministry, was found lifeless with gunshots wounds and blows to the face in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo Hoy State.
Francisco Romero Diaz was also a crime reporter in the city of Playa del Carmen and collaborated with various media, including Playa News whose founder Rubén Prat was murdered in July 2018.
Journalists' safety, Mexico, IFJ, Impunity
The DİSK Basın-İş (The Press Workers Union) released an almanac detailing violations of freedom of expression and the press in Turkey during 2018. The IFJ shares its concerns and reiterates its support to media professionals working in Turkey.
The situation in Turkey is deteriorating dangerously, the report shows. According to the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), more than 150 journalists were in jail in February 2019, while dozens of others are facing trials. The picture is becoming grimmer with each passing year.
Trials targeting freedom the press and expression are ending without fanfare, with journalists and academics for peace especially receiving jail…
