Türkiye: Big tech should protect free speech and resist state censorship - Article

Ahead of Türkiye’s municipal elections on 31 March 2024, 22 rights groups and journalists’ organisations jointly call on social media platforms to uphold the free expression rights of their users and resist state censorship. They should also fully disclose all government requests to restrict accounts or content, and be transparent about informal government pressure to restrict content on their platforms.

Serbia, no justice for the Ćuruvija murder - Article

Twenty-five years after the murder of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija and nine after the start of the trial against the four accused of the murder, after a first conviction in 2019 and the repetition of the trial, on Monday 5 February the Court of Appeal of Belgrade acquitted the defendants

By Massimo Moratti

Originally published by OBCT . Also available in ITA

Turkey: Repeal the "disinformation offence" and overreaching legal amendments - Article

Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partner organisations and Article 19 Europe 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 right to freedom of expression and of the press.

MFRR Monitoring Report - January to June 2023 - Reports

The MFRR Monitoring Report reviews media freedom violations occurred in Europe in the first half of 2023

Turkey: International groups alarmed by the targeting of journalist Alican Uludağ - Article

Authorities must take all measures to ensure safety of journalists

International mission statement: Turkey’s press freedom crisis deepens - Article

Five international press freedom and journalism groups conclude press freedom mission to Turkey

Murdered, surveilled and sued: decisive action needed to protect journalists and salvage press freedom in Greece - Article

Greek journalism is under sustained threat from the impact of the surveillance scandal “Predatorgate”, the unresolved killing of a reporter, abusive legal action and economic and political pressures. Following a mission to Athens, eight international organisations today call on the Government and Prime Minister to show political courage and urgently take specific measures aimed at improving the climate for independent journalism and salvaging press freedom

Surveillance: how the Greek legal system threatens press freedom - Article

As part of the surveillance series, we interviewed Evita Papakiriakidou, criminal lawyer from the Athens Lawyers law firm, who represents Thanasis Koukakis, a Greek journalist who was the illegitimate target of spyware surveillance

by Alessio Giussani

Originally published by OBCT . Also available in ITA

Greece: mediafreedom mission starts today - Article

Between 25 and 27 September 2023, OBCT and seven other international press freedom and freedom of expression organizations will conduct a joint advocacy and fact-finding mission to Athens. Following the parliamentary elections and nomination of the new government, the delegation will examine the challenges to media freedom, pluralism and independence in Greece and the impact of measures taken by the authorities to address them.

Originally published by OBCT . Also available in ITA

Cyprus: Call for thorough investigations into surveillance of Makarios Drousiotis - Article

OBC Transeuropa and other media advocacy organisations sent a letter to the Cypriot authorities, amid the lack of adequate investigations into the alleged surveillance of journalist Makarios Drousiotis.