Short news

Protecting and supporting media: practical tools available through the MFRR

26/07/2020

The Media Freedom Rapid Response, a EU-funded project that OBCT participates in, offers tangible and frontline support to journalists and media workers in EU member states and candidate countries who are at risk due to their work. This includes support for legal defence and opinion, emergency support such as covering travel, psychological support and family costs, offering residencies in Germany and Italy, and delivering and supporting training across the continent

Serbia: an international call to end police violence against journalists

14/07/2020

During the protests in Belgrade, police officers have been using violence against reporters and media workers, too, preventing them to do their job. The partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and other international organisations wrote a letter to the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia to remind the duties and commitments to defend media freedom. Here the text of the letter:

Poland: MFRR supports Gazeta Wyborcza who has received over 55 threats of legal action

08/07/2020

A contribution of €15,000 has been granted to respond to the unprecedented legal threats made against Polish newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza to support the outlet’s legal defence. The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a mechanism to monitor and respond to threats against journalists and media workers in EU Member States and Candidate Countries, is a concrete support against SLAPPs

Turkey: an open call to release the Kurdish journalist Nedim Türfent

16/06/2020

Together with more than 40 ngos, we call to the Turkish authorities to free Kurdish journalist Nedim Türfent, who is in jail since May 2016 for false allegations of "terrorism": his only fault was to report on Kurdish issues and on the abuses of Turkish special forces. After almost 1500 days of detention, we invite everybody to sign this call

Jail and defamation: an international call to the Italian Constitutional Court

05/06/2020

An historical decision is awaiting journalists and Parliament on June 9th: the Constitutional Court is deciding if prison is a legitimate punishment for defamation. And Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners consider this a crucial first step forward

Project Gutenberg blocked in Italy: many doubts, few certainties

27/05/2020

The popular website that publishes books in public domain has been blocked in Italy, perhaps confused with those that illegally distribute newspapers in PDF. A brief recap

Journalists and media workers need to be protected when covering demonstrations and protests

11/05/2020

Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners are concerned about the increased violence against media professionals at protests and demonstrations across EU Member States and Candidate Countries in the last months and call for increased protection

Turkey: 24 rights groups call for release of all those arbitrarily detained, now at risk of Covid-19

21/04/2020

The Turkish government continues to ignore international voices calling for justice and respect of human rights, and has excluded human rights defenders, journalists and politicians from the benefits of the recent law that allows 90,000 prisoners to go home. Together with other 23 international groups, OBCT urges the authorities to move now to prevent a humanitarian disaster.

Here the full text of the call we signed

Open letter: the EU must not sit idly by while a Member State’s democracy is in jeopardy

20/04/2020

OBCT joined other over 80 MEPs and civil society groups in signing a letter sent to the presidents of the European Commission and Council: we call on European institutions to condemn every measure abusing the emergency situation to dismantle democracy and silence civil society. Here the text of the letter

Turkey: Rights groups call for urgent release of imprisoned journalists, human rights defenders and others, now at risk of Covid-19

31/03/2020

Together with other human rights groups and organizations, OBCT calls on the Turkish government to include journalists and human rights defenders in the release of thousands of prisoners from overcrowded prisons: the novelist Ahmet Altan and the businessman Osman Kavala are among those who would not be released as they are detained for terrorism related crimes