Together with other organisations for press freedom in Italy and Europe, OBCT expresses concern over the request by the Lecce prosecutor for a six-month prison sentence for three journalists who reported on a lawsuit involving a former minister
Five years ago today, investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia was brutally assassinated in a car bomb attack in Malta. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues. Together with them, we continue to fight for full justice
MFRR partners back calls for the testing of mobile devices belonging to journalists in Greece who suspect they may have been targets of surveillance. The recent scandals require full transparency and accountability, and have underscored deepening concerns about the erosion of media freedom under the New Democracy government
IPI leads international mission to Turkey, from October 12 to 14, 2022. Nine press freedom and journalism groups to examine media freedom crisis in build up to 2023 elections
Twenty five international organisations call on Members of Parliament to vote against the bill on “disinformation and fake news”, which was submitted to parliament’s General Assembly on October 4 by the governing alliance of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
The right of citizens to be informed about matters of public interest and of journalists to write freely about them cannot and must not be hindered by SLAPPs. Civil society's appeal to the future parliament to promote measures to contrast strategic lawsuits
Threats and pressure on media outlets by powerful business interests cannot be met with impunity. The partner organisations of the MFRR urge Serbian authorities to ensure the safety of the journalists and staff at OK Radio under attack
On August 26, Greek journalist Evangelos Areteos was denied entry to Turkey. For more than two decades, he has been reporting to the Greek-speaking public about the transformations of Turkey
Today, 24 August, marks both the Ukrainian day of Independence and six months since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression. On this occasion, the partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response reiterate our continued solidarity with the journalists and media workers who risk their lives and safety to bring the world independent, balanced, and accurate information from the frontlines
A digital surveillance scandal targeting PASOK-KINAL leader Nikos Androulakis and investigative journalist Thanasis Koukakis, via Predator spyware. The so-called "Greek Watergate" is shaking the Mitsotakis government
Media expert lawyer Andrea Di Pietro positively comments on the anti-SLAPP package of the European Commission and stresses the need for training initiatives aimed at legal practitioners, to recognise and combat the gag complaints that threaten freedom of expression and the right of citizens to participate in the public debate
Quickly resolving the economic issue relating to journalists, fighting harder against SLAPPs or gag complaints, using the rule of law to improve media conditions. These are the keywords of Maja Sever, the first woman to lead the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
As evidenced by the latest report by Reporters Without Borders, press freedom in Greece today is in great pain. A situation that also has its roots in the unresolved regulatory framework
The partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today express serious concern over the searches carried out by police at the offices of Rai 3’s investigative programme ‘Report’ and the home of investigative journalist Paolo Mondani. We urge the Italian Anti-Mafia Investigative Directorate (DIA) to provide assurances that the confidentiality of journalists’ sources will not be jeapardised and to reaffirm its respect for the principles of press freedom
The consortium running the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) – consisting of the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), ARTICLE 19 Europe, European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), International Press Institute (IPI), and Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBC Transeuropa) – has been granted funding for 18 months from the European Commission to continue its work to defend and support press and media freedom throughout all EU member states, candidate countries, and Ukraine
As Greece loses 38 positions in the annual Reporters Without Borders ranking compared to 2021, the public learns about the surveillance of investigative journalist Thanasis Koukakis. The spyware used is called Predator and it is still unclear who is behind it
With the Digital Services Act, the European Union aims to establish new standards on the obligations and responsibilities of social networks and other large platforms in the management of problematic content. The result is the outcome of an ongoing dialogue between the Commission, Parliament, and the Council, with the involvement of civil society
In Bulgaria, media freedom has traditionally been restricted by grey areas, and journalists often come under severe pressure. This interview with Nelly Ognyanova, a leading Bulgarian expert on media law, discusses the legislative factors that define the working framework of journalism in the country
As part of the new edition of the Media Freedom Rapid Response running from May 2022 till October 2023, the Journalists in Residence programme – Milan launches a new call for applications open to journalists and media professionals who are experiencing some risk/threat/intimidation to their person as a direct result of their journalistic work
951 trials against journalists, claims for damages for 10.3 million Euros. Numbers that show how the media world in Croatia is under pressure. We talked about it with Vanja Juric, a lawyer specialising in freedom of expression
At a press briefing on Thursday 28 April, representatives from the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) will respond to the European Commission’s proposed measures (due to be announced on 27 April) to tackle the growing problem of SLAPPs in Europe
From the Pegasus spyware investigation to mass surveillance: a dialogue with researcher Philip Di Salvo to understand the impact of new technologies for all those involved in journalism and beyond
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) interviewed Nadezhda Azhgikhina, Russian journalist, director of PEN-Moscow, and former Vice-President of the EFJ. Her views on media in the ongoing war
While UE Member States are officially invited to ban Russian state televisions RT and Sputnik, the European Federation of Journalists, our partner in the Media Freedom Rapid Response, fears the effects of this spiral of censorship on freedom of expression in Europe
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović writes to the President of Azerbaijan, inviting him to act in order to bring the law in line with international and European standards on freedom of expression and media freedom
A public consultation on gag complaints is open until 10 January. In a meeting on the subject with organisations from all over Europe, which we attended on Thursday 25 November, Vice President of the European Commission Vera Jourova renewed her call for numerous contributions from all countries of the EU
Thirty years ago, the siege of the city of Vukovar – one of the symbols of the war in the former Yugoslavia – ended. Boris Dezulovic, leading Croatian journalist, in a recent editorial that we translated, tries to highlight the profound contradictions of today's Vukovar. This, however, earnt him death threats. We interviewed him
Since the beginning of October 2021, Italian journalists are in a state of labour unrest: as the General Secretary of the FNSI, Italian Journalists Union, Raffaele Lorusso, explains, they have good reasons to protest against the Italian government and the Italian parliament. In collaboration with the FNSI, OBCT contributed to realize this video for the monthly newsletter of the MFRR, Media Freedom Rapid Response
The information leaked by the Pandora Papers shows, once again, the enormous wealth hidden abroad by Azerbaijan's ruling elite. But the latter denies it and media like la Repubblica provide them with a megaphone to cry conspiracy
