Urgent need for a swift and thorough investigation into intelligence and police invasive surveillance of journalists and sources December 18, 2024 IPI joined partner organizations from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the SafeJournalists Network (SJN), in expressing serious concern over the revelations in Amnesty International’s forensic analysis, exposing the invasive use of spyware and other digital tools by Serbian intelligence services and police to hack journalists’ phones as part of a covert surveillance campaign. […] Read more »
IPI joins partner organizations in calling on the European Union to react to the critical press freedom situation in Georgia December 12, 2024 President of the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Council António Costa President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola Hearing of High Representative/Vice President-designate Kaja Kallas, European Parliament Dear President Ursula von der Leyen, Dear President António Costa, Dear President Roberta Metsola, Dear High Representative / Vice-President Kallas, We, […] Read more »
Joint letter to European Commission President: EU should oppose Türkiye’s “agent of influence” bill December 10, 2024 Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission CC: Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice President of the European Commission CC: Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement CC: Thomas Ossowski, EU Ambassador to Türkiye Open Letter to the European Commission Re: Urgent Need for EU Action to […] Read more »
IJ4EU awards €475,000 to 13 investigative projects November 21, 2024 Environmental threats, arms production and AI in the EU’s security apparatus are among the topics to be tackled by 13 cross-border teams awarded funding under the latest call of IPI’s flagship support scheme for investigative journalism in Europe. From examining Europe’s preparedness for future flooding to exposing the risks posed by extractive industries to global […] Read more » Taggedfunding grants ij4eu investigative journalism
Journalist Magomed Toriyev designated as “foreign agent” On 15 November 2024, the Russian Ministry of Justice designated journalist Magomed Toriyev as a “foreign agent”, Russian media reported. Authorities accused the journalist and the outlet of “disseminating fake news” about the Russian government and its decisions, distributing content created by other “foreign agents”, and opposing Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Toriyev is known […] Read more »
Azerbaijan: As COP29 is held in Baku, repression against journalists continues November 15, 2024 The IPI global network is alarmed by the repression of independent journalists in Azerbaijan, the recent scale of which is unsettling even in the context of the country’s grim political reality. The intensity of this repression – and the impunity for violence against journalists – is all the more striking as the COP29 global climate […] Read more »
Netherlands: concerns about transposition of EU anti-SLAPP Directive November 12, 2024 Undersigned press freedom and human rights organizations call on the Dutch government to take more effective measures to transpose the EU anti-SLAPP Directive. While we welcome the swift steps taken to implement the Directive in the Netherlands, the current proposal does not do justice to the severity of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and […] Read more »
States must recommit to fighting impunity for attacks on journalists November 8, 2024 Journalists in many parts of the world today face unprecedented levels of violence, attacks, and harassment, amid an increasingly hostile and dangerous climate for the media. Most crimes against the press go unpunished, fueling further violence against the media and enabling other abuses at a moment when autocrats are gaining strength around the world. This […] Read more »
Bosnia and Herzegovina: call for stronger protection for journalist Nataša Miljanović Zubac November 6, 2024 The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners together with the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) firmly call for thorough and swift investigations into numerous threats against Nataša Miljanović Zubac, journalist for the Radio Television of Republika Srpska (RTRS). Since the arson attack on her car in 2022, Zubac has been targeted by at least seven criminal acts, […] Read more »
Intimidated, attacked and barred from entering the country: press freedom organizations urge for protection of journalists’ rights in Georgia October 31, 2024 IPI and undersigned press freedom and freedom of expression organizations are deeply concerned about incidents of intimidation, threats, and physical and verbal assaults on journalists covering Georgia’s parliamentary elections on October 26, 2024. MFRR documented at least 30 election-related media freedom violations involving 34 media workers. Journalists and camera operators faced physical attacks on them […] Read more »
IPI call to action: International community must act urgently to pressure Israel to protect journalists, respect international laws October 23, 2024 The IPI global network today reiterates its call on the international community to take urgent and immediate action to ensure the safety of all journalists in Gaza, as Israel intensifies bombardments in the northern region of the territory. We urge all states – particularly allies of Israel and members of the Media Freedom Coalition – […] Read more »
Belgium: Serious concerns over cases of preventive censorship involving four media outlets October 22, 2024 The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners strongly condemn the numerous judicial decisions aimed at preventing the publication of information by four Belgian media outlets. The return of preventive censorship, which is prohibited by the Belgian Constitution, marks an alarming deterioration of press freedom in Belgium. On 10 October, the President of the Court of […] Read more »
Turkey: Press freedom and freedom of expression groups, media outlets and civil society condemn regulator’s decision to shutter Açık Radyo October 21, 2024 The International Press Institute (IPI), together with 66 undersigned press freedom and freedom of expression groups, media outlets and civil society organizations, condemns the official revocation of the terrestrial broadcasting license of independent radio station Açık Radyo by Turkey’s broadcast regulator RTÜK (Radio and Television Supreme Council). This action marks a severe blow to independent […] Read more »
Serbian judge’s lawsuits set to chill press freedom October 15, 2024 The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) expresses grave concern regarding the legal threats facing the Serbian investigative news organization KRIK and its journalists. These abusive legal actions include demands for imprisonment and bans from journalism. We stand with the journalists on trial, and urge Serbia to implement anti-SLAPP safeguards to protect independent media. KRIK is […] Read more »
Media freedom and pluralism in the Republic of Cyprus: An overview October 10, 2024 By IPI Contributor Natalie Alkiviadou Introduction The piece gives an overview of the situation of media freedom and pluralism in the Republic of Cyprus. The Republic of Cyprus has de jure sovereignty over the entirety of the island. In practice, however, its governance is confined to the southern region while the northern part of the island is administered by the […] Read more »
Spain’s Democratic Regeneration plan: implications for press freedom October 7, 2024 Virginia Pérez Alonso, director of digital news outlet Público and former president of Plataforma por la Libertad de Información, explores Spain’s announced Democratic Regeneration plan in an interview with the International Press Institute (IPI). Prompted by a row over false information about the Prime Minister’s wife, the plan aims to improve media transparency and legal […] Read more » Taggeddefamation democratic regeneration fake news gag law pedro sanchez smear campaign
Georgia: Press Freedom and the Safety of Journalists in Peril, Rising Polarization and a Climate of Fear – Findings of the Press Freedom Mission to Georgia October 3, 2024 [The following is the statement for a press conference held at the conclusion of the mission to Georgia organized by of the Partner Organizations of the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform and members of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR). You can find the statement in Georgian here]. The Mission of the Partner […] Read more »
Six years on: Still no justice for Jamal Khashoggi October 2, 2024 Six years have passed since the brutal murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi national and vocal critic of the Saudi regime. The IPI global network strongly condemns the continued lack of accountability for his heinous murder, and reiterates its call for an independent, impartial criminal investigation into the role that high-level Saudi […] Read more »
Georgia: Family Values Bill imposes censorship on media September 30, 2024 International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors and journalists, today joins international press freedom, journalists and human rights organizations in strongly condemning Georgia’s recently adopted Family Values Bill. This legislation imposes censorship on media by banning broadcasters from freely reporting on LGBT+ issues. The Georgian government must stop its legal attacks on press […] Read more »
Maria Menshikova sentenced to 7 years of prison in absentia On 30 September 2024, a court in Moscow sentenced journalist Maria Menshikova to seven years of prison in absentia on charges of “justifying terrorism”. Menshikova is the head of the news section of Doxa, an independent Russian anti-war and human rights-oriented online news outlet. The journalist currently lives outside of Russia. Russian authorities first opened […] Read more »
Mass spoofing of European media outlets highlights risks of pro-Russian disinformation September 30, 2024 The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium expresses serious concern over the persistent spoofing of legitimate European media outlets, most recently as part of a Russian disinformation campaign called “Doppelgänger”. Over the past two years, this disinformation campaign, initially discovered in 2022, continued to weigh in the political debate with so-called cybersquatting practices, through which […] Read more »
Spain: barrage of online intimidation against journalists threatens safety September 26, 2024 The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium condemns the online intimidation of investigative journalists working for La Sexta TV by Daniel Esteve, CEO of the eviction company Desokupa. Esteve’s harassment and threats to reveal personal information put the journalists’ safety at great risk. We call on the Spanish authorities to take immediate action to protect […] Read more » Taggedatresmedia doxxing eu recommendation investigative journalism la sexta online online harassment safety safety of journalists Spain
Israeli authorities revoke Al Jazeera journalists’ press passes September 17, 2024 The IPI global network condemns the Israeli government’s decision to revoke Al Jazeera journalists’ press passes. The move follows Israel’s decision in May to shut down the media outlet’s operations in Israel. On top of Israel’s existing information blockade prohibiting international journalists from entering and reporting from Gaza, this latest decision further undermines press freedom […] Read more »
Meet 10 news organizations joining Local News Accelerator 2024 September 12, 2024 IPI's Innovation team IPI Media Innovation and Sustainability team just kicked off the 2024 Local News Accelerator, a five-month programme designed to provide 10 selected media organizations with skills and strategies to grow their audiences and empower their teams. This year we received 80 applications from over 25 countries, from startups to established media. We are excited to see […] Read more »
60 organizations urge EU action against Israel’s attacks on press freedom August 26, 2024 In an urgent appeal, 60 global press freedom and human rights organizations, including the International Press Institute (IPI), are calling on the European Union to take decisive action against Israel for its escalating violations of media freedom and killing of journalists. In a letter addressed to EU leaders, the signatories urge the suspension of the […] Read more »
Pro-Putin writer calls for strikes on journalists who visited Sudzha On 25 August 2024, Russian writer Marina Akhmedova, who is a member of Russia’s Human Rights Council, a body which advises the President of Russia, called for strikes on journalists who visited the Russian town of Sudzha following its occupation by Ukrainian forces. Akhmedova made the statements on her Telegram channel. In her publication, she […] Read more »
Burundi: IPI welcomes the release of journalist Floriane Irangabiye August 23, 2024 The IPI global network welcomes the release of Burundi journalist Floriane Irangabiye after more than two years behind bars and reiterates its call on authorities in Burundi to uphold media freedom. The authorities should allow independent journalism and ensure journalists are free to do their work without fear of harassment, arrest, or detention. ‘’The release […] Read more » Taggedarrest detention media freedom sentenced
Russian Foreign Ministry speaker discredits foreign journalists working in Sudzha On 21 August 2024, Russian Foreign Ministry speaker Maria Zakharova issued veiled threats at foreign correspondents working near Sudzha, in territory of Russia that Ukraine occupied as part of a recent counter-offensive. In an interview for Sputnik, a Russian state-controlled radio station, Zakharova said: “And with each journalist, or so-called journalist, or those who work […] Read more »
Media freedom groups call for an end to Spain’s repressive “Gag Law” August 20, 2024 The undersigned Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) organizations call on the Spanish government to fully repeal the so-called “Gag Law” as part of its announced “democratic regeneration” efforts. While we welcome the initial proposed changes to the law, these fall short of the full repeal necessary to protect free expression in Spain. In Spain, despite […] Read more » Taggeddemocratic regeneration gag law ley mordaza mordaza psoe sánchez Spain sumar
Proekt Media undergoes hacking attempt On 14 August 2024, a common investigation by international NGOs Citizen Lab, Access Now and Russian NGO Perviy Otdel found that hackers likely linked to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) had targeted an array of journalists, human rights organizations, Russian opposition members and American politicians, in a campaign which was said to have started approximately […] Read more »
Africa Media Monitoring July 2024: Threats to press freedom in Kenya, DRC, and Somalia August 12, 2024 In July 2024, physical assaults, arrests of journalists covering anti-government protests, and incidents of censorship topped the list of threats to press freedom in Sub-Saharan African countries. IPI monitoring documented 33 violations or threats to media freedom in 17 countries. The highest number of violations were recorded in Kenya, DRC, and Somalia. State actors were […] Read more »
IPI calls on US, EU to reject dangerous global surveillance treaty August 6, 2024 As final negotiations draw to a close this week in New York, the IPI global network urgently calls on the United States and the European Union to stand firm and reject a global treaty that will give authorities sweeping surveillance powers and hand authoritarians even more tools to target and punish journalists and other public […] Read more »
Myanmar: Two years without justice for photojournalist Aye Kyaw July 31, 2024 Tea Rissanen, Helsingin Sanomat Foundation Journalism Fellow at IPI Two years after the death of photojournalist Aye Kyaw while in the custody of Myanmar’s military junta, the IPI global network commemorates the journalist and demands accountability for his apparent murder at the hands of the junta. In addition, IPI renews its calls for international support for journalists in Myanmar. Since the democracy-crushing military coup […] Read more »
