News

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have welcomed the convictions of the murderers of the journalist Anna Politkovskaya, but they have urged Russian authorities to continue their investigations and to find those people who ordered the killing. On Tuesday, 20 May, a Moscow court found five men guilty of murdering Politkovskaya, a...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned that eight people have been charged and several media outlets forced to shut down without cause after a crackdown organised by the Central Propaganda Department and government ministers. Reporting from State-owned media and government over the exact number of violations and penalties handed down has varied and between two and as many...

The International Press Institute (IPI) Wednesday urged Georgian authorities to fully investigate reports that surreptitious eavesdropping that has plagued the country remains ongoing, and not to target media that brought those claims to light. Prosecutors in Tbilisi last week opened a criminal investigation into the “illegal acquisition and release of private communication” after a May 10...

The International Press Institute (IPI) Tuesday called on all parties in Ukraine to release detained journalists and to take steps to ensure journalists’ safety in advance of presidential elections scheduled for May 25. “The degree to which pro-Russian separatists have detained and attacked journalists in Ukraine has been shocking, but the pattern of detentions by pro-government forces that we...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has today severely criticised authorities in Ethiopia following the decision by a court to grant police nearly one more month to conduct investigations against the journalists and bloggers detained in the country last month. Three journalists and six bloggers were arrested on 25 and 26 April by police using an arrest warrant from a public...

As Azerbaijan took up its chairmanship of the Council on Europe on Wednesday, WAN-IFRA raised concerns that this prominent position would be seen as tacit approval of the country’s appalling human rights and press freedom record. Following publication, Council of Europe spokesman Daniel Höltgen spoke to Douglas Grant to explain the organisation’s position. Faced with accusations that the...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) in expressing concerns over Pakistan’s decision to deny visa extensions to the only two Indian journalists based in Islamabad, serving them one weeks’ notice to leave the country. Pakistan authorities declined to renew the visas of Meena Menon of The Hindu newspaper and Snehesh Philip of the Press Trust of...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins with the Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) in expressing its concern over the indefinite suspension of three members of Nauru’s opposition after they made critical statements to foreign media. Former foreign minister Dr Kieren Keke, Roland Kun and Mathew Batsiua were suspended from Nauru’s 19 member parliament following a series of interviews...

Sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 300 years, Füsun Erdoğan went from a hard-working radio journalist in Istanbul to being confined to a prison cell. For two years after her arrest by plainclothes police in September 2006, Erdogan, who holds Dutch and Turkish citizenship, didn't even know her crime. Overall, her trial lasted more than eight years. After months of pressure from civil...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF) in condemning the attack on a journalist while on assignment on Tuesday, May 13. Shishir Morol, a special correspondent of Prathom Alo, was held captive for two hours and beaten by Dr Shafiul Azam and staff Sufian of the ZH Sikder Women’s Medical College Hospital in Dhaka. Morol was working...