News Mfrr

Reporting surveillance: the experience of Omer Benjakob

16/10/2023 -  Dimitri Bettoni

Investigative tech reporter Omer Benjakob, member of the desk behind the publication of the cybersecurity focused newsletter NatSec+ for the newspaper Haaretz, speaks to OBCT/MFRR about the challenges of covering the surveillance tech industry in Israel, one of the countries that has developed this industry the most

Italy: Roberto Saviano's conviction a major blow to free expression

13/10/2023

OBCT joins international media freedom, free expression, and journalist organisations in expressing shock over criminal conviction of the Italian writer

Preventive wiretaps: a violation of the right of defence?

13/10/2023 -  Paola Rosà

After the book by former journalist Bisignani and Madron, which talks about 400 politicians and journalists controlled by the services, the alarm came from former MP Marco Cappato, who fears being under surveillance. The government denies, but the debate is about the law that regulates preventive wiretapping rather than the specific case

Turkey’s press freedom crisis deepens

06/10/2023

Turkey’s press freedom crisis has deepened further in the last year, five international media freedom and journalism organizations say

Reporting in Turkey: a dangerous job

05/10/2023 -  Özge Çakır-SomlyaiDimitri Bettoni

Arbitrary detentions, a manipulative law on disinformation, beatings, mass surveillance, a politicised judiciary and financial pressure, all make Turkey a very unfriendly place for journalism. Things can get worse for those who fled their home countries

Murdered, surveilled and sued: decisive action needed to protect journalists and salvage press freedom in Greece

28/09/2023

Greek journalism is under sustained threat from the impact of the surveillance scandal “Predatorgate”, the unresolved killing of a reporter, abusive legal action and economic and political pressures. Following a mission to Athens, eight international organisations today call on the Government and Prime Minister to show political courage and urgently take specific measures aimed at improving the climate for independent journalism and salvaging press freedom

Turkey: Annual international press freedom mission

29/09/2023

Between 2 and 5 October 2023, OBCT and other four international media freedom organisations will conduct an annual joint press freedom mission to Ankara, Diyarbakır and Istanbul. The mission will focus on the state of media freedom, the challenges experienced by journalists, media workers and the media landscape in general in the aftermath of devastating earthquakes, and the parliamentary and presidential elections this year

Assassinati, sorvegliati e denunciati: serve un intervento incisivo per proteggere i giornalisti e salvare la libertà di stampa in Grecia

02/10/2023

Il giornalismo greco è costantemente minacciato dall’impatto dello scandalo di sorveglianza “Predatorgate”, dall’omicidio irrisolto di un giornalista, da cause persecutorie e da pressioni economiche e politiche. Dopo una missione ad Atene, otto organizzazioni internazionali chiedono a governo e primo ministro un gesto di coraggio: adottare urgentemente misure specifiche volte a tutelare giornalismo indipendente e libertà di stampa

International conference "Media-Democracy Nexus in the European Space"

02/10/2023

Rule of law, media, and democracy in Italy and south-eastern Europe are the themes of the international conference organised in Rome on 17 October by OBC Transeuropa in collaboration with Heinrich Böll Stiftung Paris, France - Italy, the Italian National Press Federation, and the National Council of the Order of journalists as part of the European Media Freedom Rapid Response project

Surveillance: how the Greek legal system threatens press freedom

25/09/2023 -  Alessio Giussani

As part of the surveillance series, we interviewed Evita Papakiriakidou, criminal lawyer from the Athens Lawyers law firm, who represents Thanasis Koukakis, a Greek journalist who was the illegitimate target of spyware surveillance