The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today says an end to the legal persecution of journalists is an essential step towards providing human rights protection around the world.
The IFJ, which is the world’s largest journalists’ group, says that governments who use criminal defamation and other legal restrictions to silence critical reporting undermine the role of media in exposing violations of rights across society
In a statement marking United Nations International Human Rights Day, the IFJ has called for a new global campaign to free the press from restrictive laws.
“Freedom of expression is a basic human right,” said IFJ General Secretary…
Representatives of the Colombian Federation of Journalists (FECOLPER) and the National Union of Workers of the Press (SNTP) of Venezuela, during the Regional Human Rights Conference, organized by the International Federation of Journalists and the Federation of Latin American and Caribbean Journalists (FEPALC), in Lima, Perú, on November 30th and December 1st:
OBSERVE
The failure in the mediation on humanitarian exchange of hostages at the hands of the guerilla has caused a strong polemic between presidents of both countries, threatening to affect fundamental aspects of the historic relationship between our nations;
HIGHLIGHT
This verbal confrontation has…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on the Israeli authorities to abandon plans to prosecute journalists who visited Lebanon and Syria, countries with which Israel has no formal relations, in the course of their work.
“At a time when key players in the region are talking peace it is grotesque that journalists should be facing prosecution for doing their job,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. “Israel should be sending a signal that it is ready for change.”
Israeli police said on Thursday they will recommend charges be brought against Ron Ben Yishai of the daily Yediot Aharonot who in September travelled to Syria, and two…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the European group of the IFJ, today called for better protection of sources in France after the latest case against a journalist who has refused to reveal a confidential source.
“It is urgent that a protection of sources law is passed in France”, said EFJ Chair Arne König. “Unfortunately we are not surprised by this event, which happened the day before a delegation of French journalists’ unions meet with the Ministry of Justice to ask for this law, which has been promised for several years.”
On December 6, Le Monde reporter Guillaume Dasquié was accused of “compromising national defence…
Today the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the European regional group of the IFJ, condemned the assault of a Greek journalist in Istanbul and called for an immediate investigation to find his assailants.
“We are shocked by this attack”, said EFJ General Secretary Aidan White. “Journalists have to work under difficult conditions in Turkey. Authorities must carry out an immediate investigation to send the message that journalists cannot be attacked with impunity.
Andreas Rompopoulos, a correspondent for the major Greek TV Channel MEGA, correspondent of Greek daily newspaper ELEFTHEROS TYPOS, and editor of the newspaper HXO, which is published for the Greek…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today urged Somaliland authorities to withdraw their decision to expel 24 Somali journalists who fled the violence in Mogadishu over allegations that they are endangering the "security and stability” of the region.
“Before this incident Somaliland has had a reputation as a place that would offer safety to journalists who are harassed and threatened in Somalia,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa office. “This decision is a great step backwards for Somaliland and we call on the authorities to withdraw this unfortunate decision.”
This order to expel threatened journalists comes as…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned as “intolerable and vindictive” the sentence handed down to Tunisian journalist Slim Boukhdir on charges stemming from a search by police on the group taxi he was riding in. It is the latest targeted attack on Boukhdir who has been frequently harassed by Tunisian authorities says the IFJ.
“The authorities are using these charges to send a message to Slim and to other independent journalists that their reporting will lead to jail time,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. “He was not explicitly charged on a matter stemming from his work but it is hard to believe otherwise. This is the…
US MediaSind made public today, december 3,2007, the Country Report regarding press freedom and independence in Romania.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD IN PDF FORMAT
The present report can be considered an addition to the actions of november 5, organized on an international level by European Federation of Journalists, under the slogan Stand up for Journalism”, actions which purpose is the change and modernization of mass-media in 30 countries of Europe. US MediaSind took part at this event in order to make a warning about the danger of a credibility crisis in romanian press, because of the unfortunate relation between mass-media and autochtonous political class.
In this report, US…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today urged employers in Cameroon to negotiate and sign a fair media sector collective bargaining agreement as they returned to the bargaining table with the employees’ representatives after a 21-month stalemate in talks.
"We welcome the resumption of the negotiations and reassert our support for the claims of our fellow trade unionists and media workers in Cameroon," said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa Office. "We are calling on the Ministers of Labour and Communication to get more involved in the negotiations to ensure that both sides will quickly reach a fair and equitable agreement."
The IFJ believes that…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the recent waves of attacks on media in Somalia which have included arrests and censorship.
On Monday two journalists were arrested by forces in the self-proclaimed state of Somaliland for their work in a disputed town. The same day, the mayor of Mogadishu restricted media coverage of the conflict between the government and Islamist insurgents.
“Our arrested colleagues as they have not violated any laws so they should be released immediately,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa office. “The media restrictions in Mogadishu are yet another attack on the press and are a clear abuse of power…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today urged the new government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to order an immediate investigation into a minister after he reportedly ordered police officers to beat two journalists in his office in retaliation for a critical news report.
"It is outrageous that Minister Sylvain Ngabu remains in the government and is not being investigated for this violent attack on two of our colleagues," said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa office. “Prime Minister Gizenga should launch and immediate investigation into this attack and prosecute Minister Ngabu if he did order the beatings.”
The IFJ is standing in…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on Cameroon’s Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni to intervene after media group TV + dismissed 8 journalists and media workers accused of being the organisers of a recent strike protesting their working conditions.
“The management of TV + should be addressing the concerns of its employees not sacking the union leaders who have led the fight for decent working conditions,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa Office. “Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni and his government should intervene to ensure the company is meeting national labour standards and the dismissed workers are allowed to return.”…
ITUC Joins Global Action to Stop Violence Against Women
Brussels, 23 November 2007 (ITUC OnLine): The ITUC and Global Union Federations are participating in a global initiative to stop violence against women, running from 25 November (UN Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women) until UN Human Rights Day on 10 December. The initiative is based on the 1993 Declaration on this issue adopted by the UN. The global trade union bodies have issued a statement http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/women.pdf, which highlights the extent of violence against women in the workplace and the impact of domestic violence and forced labour on women workers.
“Violence, physical…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today urged President Mamadou Tandja of Niger to take strong action for the release of two journalists accused of criminal offences following their coverage of the Tuareg rebellion in Niger.
“We are very worried about the continued detention of our colleagues and the serious charges they face stemming from their professional work,” wrote Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa office in a letter to President Tandja.
Moussa Kaka, Niger correspondent of Radio France International (RFI) and director of privately-owned Radio Saraouniya, was arrested on 20 September by police officers and has been held since then.
Kaka…
The International Federation of Journalist (IFJ) and its regional group, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today offered its support for Greek journalists in their fight against new government plans to dramatically weaken the Greek social security system.
“It appears that the government is playing roulette with the livelihoods of its citizens," said Aidan White, EFJ General Secretary. "Journalists-- like other workers-- are right to protest over the need to maintain a well functioning social security fund. The right for income security and financial autonomy for retirees is paramount in the social fabric of all workers.”
The Greek journalist unions said that…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is dismayed at reports that an unidentified gang set fire to the Leader Publications printing house that publishes the Sunday Leader, the mid-weekly Morning Leader and Sinhala Weekly Irudina in the Rathmalana district of Colombo.
The Free Media Movement (FMM), an IFJ affiliate, said 15 people forced entry into the printing house during the print run for today’s issue of Morning Leader. Journalists who visited the scene were told that the gang first forced management and workers to hand over their mobile phones and kneel down, before they set the machines alight.
The FMM reports that the recent critical position and civil…
We, the participants representing the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and other members of civil society, hereby declare our strong and unified defense of the right to a free media and free expression, and demand that the right to know should not be taken away from the people of Pakistan. The liberty and safety of journalists and editorial independence are principles of press freedom that we hold as sacrosanct and non-negotiable.
At the very outset, we denounce the imposition of the Provisional Constitutional Order announced on 3 November, 2007, and call for a rollback of all decisions and actions associated with that order.…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is shocked and outraged by the targeted bomb attack on Mahrun Nisa at her home in Mir Ali, a militant stronghold in the border region of North Waziristan.
Reports from the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an affiliate of the IFJ, said Nisa was killed in the early hours of the morning on 17 November by a bomb detonated outside her bedroom window. Since losing both her husband and one son to vicious attacks, Nisa has become an advocate for journalists’ safety and media freedom in Pakistan.
“It is distressing and unjustifiable when attacks on press freedom take the lives of journalists and their families,”…
The International Federation of Journalists today condemned the actions of the Dubai government which has shut down Pakistani media forced to operate from the United Arab Emirates after they were closed by the Pakistan government as part of the emergency crackdown imposed by President Pervez Musharraf.
The Dubai offices of Pakistan's independent Geo TV station were shut down by a telephone call from the government of the United Arab Emirates under heavy pressure from the Pakistan, said the group's executive director on Saturday.
The IFJ says that the political leadership in Dubai has bowed to pressure from the Musharraf government in a “censorship pact” that has…
Today the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the European group the International Federation of Journalists, strongly condemned the repeated threats against journalists in Cyprus and in particular the latest intimidation of a writer writing about a love affair between a man and woman from either side of the divided community.
“In a split country like Cyprus, we cannot accept that authors and journalists writing about tolerance and cultural dialogue are threatened and intimidated” said EFJ General Secretary Aidan White. “Press freedom is seriously challenged by this recent development and we can not tolerate intolerance”.
Ultra-nationalists in the…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today expressed astonishment at the overnight detention of Algerian journalist Noureddine Boukraa in connection with libel charges brought against him over a story he wrote about alleged corruption for another newspaper – two years ago.
“These charges are a sham and are designed to silence his critical reporting,” said IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. “The use of the criminal code by the authorities to prosecute journalists creates a hostile atmosphere for independent journalism. We call on the government to decriminalise press offences and stop sending reporters to jail.”
Boukraa, the bureau chief in…
New restrictions on the import of satellite dishes and antennae into Pakistan were imposed on Tuesday, said the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an affiliate of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
“These further restrictions on access to information show the Government is no more interested in the free flow of information,” the PFUJ’s Secretary-General, Mazhar Abbas, said today.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce declared on Tuesday that imports of such equipment would now require the approval of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority (PEMRA). PEMRA is the agency responsible for administering the anti-media ordinances…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on the Somali Transitional Federal Government to reopen three private radio stations it closed in the last two days without any explanation.
“Our Somali colleagues already work in a very difficult situation and it’s appalling that the government is making their daily struggle even more difficult,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa office. “We condemn this serious press freedom violation and we call on the Somali government to reopen all the radio stations immediately and unconditionally.”
Security forces of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) shut this morning two…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its regional group, the European Federation of Journalists, today warned of the increasing state interference in the media industry in Europe and around the word after a global study shows that many countries do not have adequate protection for journalists’ sources.
“We see a disturbing and unacceptable level of intrusion by government authorities in media content,” said IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. “Increasingly security services and police are trying to identify journalists’ sources. There is more evidence of systematic telephone tapping and much of this is carried out with the implementation of…
The International Federation of Journalists has strongly condemned the expulsion of three journalists working for a British daily newspaper in Pakistan accusing the government of President Pervez Musharraf of “intolerance and destroying international confidence in promises of a quick return to the rule of law and democracy.”
The government is expelling Daily Telegraph journalists Isambard Wilkinson, Colin Freeman and Damien McElroy under emergency regulations for using "foul and abusive language against Pakistan and the Pakistani leadership", according to State-run Pakistan Television. The action follows a newspaper editorial yesterday criticising the declaration of emergency…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) says that 20 years of rule by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has failed to deliver free expression in Tunisia where sophisticated governmental pressure creates a difficult climate for independent journalism.
The IFJ says that journalists in Tunisia are facing up to the realities of modernisation, but government remains stuck in a political groove of media manipulation in which dissenting voices are marginalised.
“The anniversary this week of two decades in power should not pass without recognition that the country is long overdue for change, particularly in the role and responsibility of media,” said Aidan White, IFJ…
When we’re gone, who will cover the news?
On Monday, November 5th, during the Standing Up for Journalism campaign, more than 600,000 journalists and media workers affiliated to the IFJ in 116 countries, alerted society about our profession’s degradation, as a result of criminal actions of powerful groups, excessive commercialization of media organisations, political pressures and our dire work conditions.
On this day, led by the National Union of Journalists of the UK and Ireland, we reminded citizens from every social status, of the crucial role we have as a guarantee to their right to accurate information. In addition, we highlighted most of the decisions made by citizens…
