News

Italy: Journalists face fresh violence covering ‘green pass’ protests

15/10/2021

The undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) are highly concerned about yet another series of violent attacks and threats to journalists and media workers covering protests against the government’s pandemic-related measures across Italy

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Greece: Justice Ministry must withdraw proposed amendments on ‘false news’

12/10/2021

MFRR partners understand the threat that misinformation poses, but the passing of heavy-handed legislation is not the correct response, as subjective interpretation of a vaguely worded law can open the door to censorship of legitimate reporting

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Albania: MFRR urges government to scrap new Media and Information Agency

11/10/2021

MFRR partners express concern over a new Media and Information Agency that would centralise control over the government's public relations within a single entity. Until greater safeguards can be established to ensure the agency operates in a fair and transparent manner, we urge the government to cancel its establishment

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Turkey: growing digital censorship compounds press freedom crisis

11/10/2021

We joined ten other organisations in a mission to Turkey led by IPI. While the government refused the invitation for a meeting, journalists, civil society representatives, MPs and other institutions denounced an ever-worsening environment for Turkey's remaining independent press

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Fifteen organisations condemn the lawsuits brought by ENRC against the Financial Times, Harper Collins, and journalist Tom Burgis in London

08/10/2021

The undersigned organisations express their serious concern at the legal proceedings that have been filed in a UK court against journalist and author Tom Burgis, his publisher HarperCollins, and his employer the Financial Times (FT)

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British journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown may be arrested in Spain following threats by the Malaysian government

29/09/2021

We co-signed a letter calling on INTERPOL to clarify its involvement in the arrest warrant issued against British journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown amid fears she may be arrested in Spain following threats by the Malaysian government

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MFRR partners join call for justice for Martin O’Hagan

28/09/2021

Twenty years ago today, Sunday World journalist Martin O’Hagan was shot dead in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. To this day, no one has been held to account for his brutal murder. The undersigned partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) stand in solidarity with O’Hagan’s family, colleagues and friends as we call for justice in his case

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Rule of Law Report: civil society recommendations for the Commission

22/09/2021

OBCT joins 30 civil society organisations to ask the Commission to revise the methodology of the Rule of Law Report

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Croatia: MFRR partners concerned about wave of abusive legal actions against Index.hr

22/09/2021

MFRR partners condemn the wave of abusive legal actions filed against Index.hr, many of which used by powerful individuals as a means of silencing critical expression

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Romania: filmmakers badly beaten while shooting documentary on illegal logging

21/09/2021

On 16 September, two filmmakers and an activist were attacked and badly beaten by a group of 20 armed people while documenting the issue of illegal logging. MFRR partners call on the Romanian authorities to ensure all those responsible are brought to justice

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