Hungary: IPI joins condemnation of passing of Sovereignty Protection Act December 13, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) today condemns the passing of the Sovereignty Protection Act by the Orbán government in Hungary without proper public consultation and calls for an EU challenge against the law. After the bill was passed in the parliament on 12 December after just two weeks of debate, IPI renews our previous concerns […] Read more »
North Macedonia: Ruling against Investigative Reporting Lab and its editor must be overturned November 24, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) joins the organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) in expressing dismay at a recent defamation verdict by a judge in North Macedonia which recommends shutting down one of the country’s leading investigative media outlets and expects this damaging ruling to be swiftly overturned […] Read more »
Gaza war: As killings of journalists continue, IPI reiterates call to protect safety of the press and civilians November 21, 2023 The IPI global network is horrified by the continually growing death toll suffered by journalists and civilians amid the Israel-Gaza war. We strongly urge Israel to uphold journalists’ rights to cover the conflict in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law, and to protect the safety of reporters, media workers, and their families. As […] Read more »
Azerbaijan: IPI demands immediate release of Abzas Media director Ulvi Hasanli November 20, 2023 The IPI global network demands the immediate release from custody of Ulvi Hasanli, the director of Abzas Media, an independent news outlet in Azerbaijan. On Monday, searches were carried out at the Baku office of Abzas media, soon after Hasanli was detained. According to the media outlet, Hasanli has already been beaten while under police […] Read more »
Russia: IPI condemns release of convicted organizer of Anna Politkovskaya murderer November 16, 2023 On Tuesday, November 14, Russian media quoted Khadzhikurbanov’s lawyer, Alexey Mikhalchik, who explained that his client was first recruited as a prisoner, was later pardoned and now participates in the war as a contracted fighter. According to the lawyer, Khadzhikurbanov was pardoned by President Vladimir Putin six months after joining the army, in accordance with […] Read more »
Mali: IPI condemns killing of journalist, abduction of two others by insurgent group November 15, 2023 The IPI global network condemns the killing of journalist Abdoul Aziz Djibrilla, and the abduction of two others, on November 7, by an insurgency group in northern Mali. Djibrilla was working for the local media outlet Naata de Labbezanga in Mali’s Kidal region, the epicenter of violence wrought by two main insurgency groups the Islamic […] Read more »
Case Study How Armenia’s EVN Report is elevating public discourse amid crisis and transformation November 14, 2023 Teona Sekhniashvili Stay up to date with IPI’s work on media innovation and sustainability by subscribing to our newsletter The Outlook. Sign up here. “When you are a country in conflict, you tend to become very insularized. We wanted to do something against that,” the founder and editor-in-chief of the Yerevan-based weekly magazine EVN Report, Maria Titizian, […] Read more »
Ternopil city council refuses to provide information on civil servant salaries ‘until end of martial law’ On 10 November 2023, journalists at RIA+ / 20 minutes, a local online media outlet in the city of Ternopil, western Ukraine, said that officials at the Ternopil city council had refused to provide them with information on salaries of civil servants employed by the council, claiming that this could only be done after the […] Read more »
EU: Anti-SLAPP Directive cannot be a missed opportunity November 9, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) has joined 74 civil society organisations in writing to the European Commission, the European Parliament’s rapporteur, the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council and the Ministers of Justice of all EU Member States to reiterate our shared concerns regarding the trilogue process of the anti-SLAPP Directive. The CASE Coalition, of […] Read more »
Ukraine: Alarm over journalists missing or detained in Russian-occupied territory November 8, 2023 The IPI global network demands more efforts by the international community to locate and help secure the release of Ukrainian journalists missing or detained in unclear circumstances while reporting in territories occupied by Russia. Such cases have become increasingly frequent over the past months, according to IPI monitoring. On October 30, Russian occupying authorities communicated […] Read more »
Turkey: Repeal the “disinformation offence” and overreaching legal amendments November 8, 2023 As the Turkish Constitutional Court reviews the constitutionality of the “disinformation offence”, today on 8 November, the International Press Institute (IPI) and Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partner organisations reiterate their call for the annulment of Article 217/A of the Turkish Penal Code and related legal amendments passed in October 2022 that undermine international standards on the […] Read more »
Iran: Journalists who covered Mahsa Amini’s death sentenced to prison November 7, 2023 IPI Contributor Katherine Dailey and IPI staff The IPI global network strongly condemns the sentencing of Iranian journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, two of the first journalists to report on the death of Masha Amini at the hands of the morality police in September 2022, and calls for their immediate release. On October 22, Hamedi was sentenced to a total of […] Read more »
Russia: IPI demands end to violence against journalists in North Caucasus November 6, 2023 The IPI global network demands an end to violence against journalists in Russia’s North Caucasus region, following a recent attack in Ingushetia on journalists Lilian Rubtsova and Alena Sadovskaya. The attack took place after a violent assault in Chechnya earlier this year in which Novaya Gazeta correspondent Elena Milashina was seriously wounded. According to Rubtsova, […] Read more »
Turkey: International groups condemn arrest of journalist Tolga Şardan November 2, 2023 The undersigned media freedom, freedom of expression, human rights and journalists’ organizations strongly condemn the arrest of seasoned journalist Tolga Şardan in Ankara. On the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI), the undersigned groups demand that instead of punishing journalists for informing the public, Turkey’s judiciary should hold […] Read more »
IPI calls on states to take concrete action to end impunity for crimes against the press November 1, 2023 Amid spiraling violence and attacks on the press, states must urgently uphold their commitments and obligations to protect the safety of journalists – including in conflict zones – and take concrete action to end impunity for these crimes, the International Press Institute (IPI) said to mark International Day to End Impunity on November 2, 2023. […] Read more » Taggedimpunity
Analysis: Backsliding in Bosnia and Herzegovina as media freedom faces myriad challenges October 31, 2023 IPI Europe Advocacy Officer Jamie Wiseman Media freedom in Bosnia and Herzegovina is undergoing a worrying period of backsliding amidst a string of restrictive new legislative efforts, hostile rhetoric and denigration of journalists by public officials, and ongoing systemic challenges facing the independence of public service media. These were the initial findings of a coalition of international journalists and media freedom […] Read more »
Latest IJ4EU investigations stir debate in Europe October 31, 2023 What do Iranian-made kamikaze drones used by Russia in Ukraine have in common with a massive Russian gas project in the Arctic and Moscow’s war machine in the separatist Transnistria region in Moldova? All three have benefited from parts, technology or fuel provided by companies in the European Union — despite sanctions imposed after Russia’s […] Read more » Taggedij4eu investigative journalism
#IDEI 2023: Journalist Safety and Impunity in Africa: What Needs to Be Done? Journalists in Africa play a vital role in enabling access to information and facilitating transparency and accountability. Yet they continue to face serious risks while doing their work, including physical violence, arrest, imprisonment, surveillance, and online threats and harassment. The level of accountability for these attacks remains low. In the first nine months of 2023, […] Read more »
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Media freedom in survival mode October 26, 2023 Following a press freedom mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 22-25 October 2023, the International Press Institute (IPI) today joins in partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in warning that media freedom in the country is in decline against a backdrop of new restrictive laws, hostile rhetoric and denigration of journalists by public officials, […] Read more »
Poland’s unfair election reinforces demands for Europe-wide Media Freedom Act October 24, 2023 As the European Parliament, Council and Commission enter the final negotiations on the EMFA, the International Press Institute (IPI) together with its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners and other press freedom and human rights groups today call for the adoption of the Parliament’s text, which, while also in need of further strengthening, is currently […] Read more »
MFRR in Focus: Opposition wins Poland election Across Central Europe, independent media are the caught in the middle of attacks by populist politicians. These have built a narrative of local people standing up to elites, of Central European nations opposing “orders from Brussels”, and of traditional values resisting social liberalism. In the world of media, this translates into populist governments accusing independent media […] Read more »
Austria: Court ruling forces reform of appointments to public broadcaster boards October 23, 2023 IPI Contributor Helmut Spudich Too much government, too little civil society: Austria’s highest court ruled that appointing members to the top bodies of public broadcaster ORF in favor of the government majority is unconstitutional. The repair of the ORF law falls in the election year 2024 and will be modest. A “side aspect” of the decision: Austria’s constitution explicitly […] Read more »
Political strategist and blogger threatens to “punish” Detector Media editor-in-chief On 16 October 2023, Ukrainian political strategist and blogger Volodymyr Petrov took part in a livestreamed conversation broadcast by Youtube channel ISLND TV, during which he threatened to “punish” Natalia Lyhachova, the editor-in-chief of Detector Media, a Ukrainian media rights defence group. In the video, which featured Petrov speaking with Serhiy Ivanov, the co-host of […] Read more »
Malta: Fight for justice and reforms continues on sixth anniversary of Daphne Caruana Galizia murder October 16, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) today marks the sixth anniversary of the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, pays tribute to her family and colleagues who continue the long fight for justice, and stresses the importance of ending impunity and securing systemic reforms to the media landscape which ensure such a tragedy is never […] Read more »
Italy: Roberto Saviano’s conviction a major blow to free expression October 13, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) today joins its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners and the other undersigned press freedom, free expression, and journalist organisations to express shock over yesterday’s criminal conviction of writer and journalist Roberto Saviano, in a case brought by current Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, and we convey our full solidarity with […] Read more »
Turkey: International groups alarmed by the targeting of journalist Alican Uludağ October 13, 2023 The undersigned media freedom, freedom of expression and human rights organizations denounce the inflammatory rhetoric directed at Deutsche Welle (DW) Turkish service reporter Alican Uludağ by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) officials and call on the Turkish authorities to ensure journalists’ safety. Journalists must be able to freely publish information they obtain on matters of public […] Read more »
MFRR In Focus: How will the takeover of Polska Press in Poland impact the upcoming election? Under Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, which is seeking a third term in government, press freedom in the country has deteriorated over the last decade. While the media landscape remains vibrant and pluralistic overall, independent media critical of the ruling party have faced regulatory, financial and legal pressure. As the parliamentary election on […] Read more »
Jordan: IPI condemns one-year prison sentence for journalist Ahmed Al-Zoubi October 11, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) condemns the sentencing of Jordanian satire journalist Ahmed Al-Zoubi to one year in prison over a social media post. Jordan’s justice minister last month denied Al-Zoubi’s defence team the right to appeal the sentence further. The case centers around a Facebook post Al-Zoubi made during a truckers’ strike in Jordan’s […] Read more »
IPI calls for journalists’ safety amid Israel-Hamas war October 10, 2023 The IPI global network calls on all parties involved in the ongoing hostilities in Israel and Gaza to ensure all measures are taken to protect the safety of journalists. IPI is deeply alarmed by reports that at least seven Palestinian journalists have been killed since Saturday, with several others injured. There are also reports that […] Read more »
International mission statement: Turkey’s press freedom crisis deepens amid earthquake and national elections October 5, 2023 Turkey’s press freedom crisis has deepened further in the last year. Journalists face steep harassment and intimidation for their work, including arbitrary imprisonment and prosecution. Those responsible for attacks and threats against the press enjoy alarming levels of impunity. This year’s parliamentary and presidential elections have brought no relief for press freedom. On the contrary, […] Read more »
Report: Media freedom at a crossroads – Journalism in Poland faces uncertain future ahead of election October 5, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) today joins its partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in publishing a report examining the fragile state of press freedom in Poland ahead of the country’s general election on 15 October 2023. The report explores how media capture and the widespread use of vexatious lawsuits have been used […] Read more »
Meet 12 local news organizations joining IPI’s Local News Accelerator October 4, 2023 IPI Media Innovation and Sustainability IPI is excited to launch the Local News Accelerator, a three-month programme during which we will equip 12 media organizations with skills and strategies to grow their audiences and empower their teams. A diverse jury selected the 12 organizations from almost 150 which applied for the programme. The final 12 are serving local communities around […] Read more »
Blogger Alexander Nozdrinov sentenced to 8.5 years of prison on war-related “fake news” charges On 29 September 2023, a court in Krasnodar, southern Russia, sentenced blogger Alexander Nozdrinov to 8.5 years of prison on charges of allegedly disseminating “fake news” related to the war in Ukraine. Nozdrinov was also banned from working in media outlets for a period of four years. The IPI Weekly Digest & IPI Distribution List […] Read more »
