With their recent criticism of the potential abuses of artificial intelligence in content protected by authors’ rights, unions representing authors, actors and screenwriters have rekindled a debate on the importance of creators, particularly journalists, knowing their rights and protecting the use of their work.
“When my former employer talked to me about my author’s rights, I have to admit I didn’t even pay attention,” says Fleur D. (who wishes to remain anonymous), a French journalist who worked for a long time as a freelancer before being given a permanent contract.
This is a fairly common reaction for journalists when asked about their author’s rights. “I’ve never given it too much…
News outlet Newstapa and broadcaster Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company (JTBC) have been raided by South Korean authorities after reporting in 2022 on an allegedly fake interview claimed to discredit then-Presidential candidate Yoon Suk Yeol. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Journalists Association of Korea (JAK), condemn the intimidation and legal harassment of media workers and news outlets and urge the authorities to cease all investigations immediately.
On September 14, investigators and prosecutors with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office were dispatched to the offices of online news outlets Newstapa and broadcaster Joongang…
[UPDATED 20.03.2024] Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have arrested and detained journalist Stanis Bujakera, who works for the international media outlet, Jeune Afrique. He was detained at the N’djili International Airport (Kinshasa) on Friday 8 September as he was about to board a flight to Lubumbashi in the south-east of the country. Bujakera is accused of “spreading false rumours” and disseminating "false information”.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns this attack on media freedom and the apparent determination of the authorities to intimidate media professionals.
According to media reports, Stanis Bujakera was arrested and detained in…
Journalists Fayaz Zafar and Amjad Ali Sahaab are facing similar misinformation and defamation charges in the Swat Valley region, amid a rising number of incidents of detention, assault, and harassment against Pakistan’s media. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), condemn the legal and physical harassment against the journalists and urge the local authorities to withdraw all charges immediately.
Senior Khyber Pakhtunkhwa journalist Fayaz Zafar was arrested on the evening of August 30 under a Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO) while returning home from work. The journalist said that approximately 30…
The Council of Global Unions (CGU), representing over 200 million workers, including journalists, condemns the escalating violations of trade union leaders and activists' human and labour rights and civil liberties by various Iranian authorities.
The CGU expresses deep concern about the intensification of repressive measures targeting teachers, journalists, trade union activists, student activists, and women's rights defenders, especially in light of the approaching anniversary of the extrajudicial death of Jina Mahsa Amini on 16 September. We denounce this repression and urgently call for its cessation, thereby enabling trade unionists to defend and uphold workers' rights in Iran, a…
Independent news outlet Rappler and its founder Maria Ressa have been acquitted of the final of five tax evasion charges launched in 2018 by the Philippines government. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), in welcoming the long-awaited legal victory and calling on the Filipino judiciary to overturn all remaining cases against Ressa and other media workers.
On September 12, a court in the National Capital Region’s eastern city of Pasig acquitted renowned journalist and 2021 Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa and her outlet, Rappler, on the fifth of five tax evasion charges. In its decision, the court…
The Ankara 22nd Heavy Penal Court handed travel bans to Faruk Eren, President of the DİSK Basın-İş Union, and editor of the Gerçek Gündem news portal Furkan Karabay on 7 September. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) join their affiliate the Turkish Press and Printing Employees Union (DİSK BASIN-İŞ) in condemning these actions against journalists that infringe their rights and damage media freedom.
Constitutional Court member Judge İrfan Fidan filed a complaint against the two journalists regarding an article published in the Gerçek Gündem news portal. The article reflected on the many controversies surrounding the 2021 appointment of Fidan to the…
Tamer Almisshal, Al Jazeera Arabic presenter had his Facebook profile taken down following the airing of his TV Show ‘Tip of the Iceberg’ on 8 September. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) in condemning all actions brought forward by Meta as well as its recurring policy of digital violation and restriction of journalists’ work.
Almisshal was investigating how Meta is inclined to restrict pro-Palestinian or critical content of Israel in cooperation with Israeli intelligence services. His Facebook profile was deleted 24 hours after the show aired.
Al Jazeera said they have tried to contact Facebook looking…
A Radio New Zealand (RNZ) journalist has alleged that an Indonesian official attempted to both bribe and intimidate him following an interview at a recent meeting of a Melanesian intergovernmental organisation in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliates, the Media Association Vanuatu (MAV) and the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia, condemn the attempted bribery and harassment of the journalist and urge the relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident.
On August 23, RNZ journalist Kelvin Anthony reported that a representative of the Indonesian government, Ardi Nuswantoro, attempted to bribe him outside Port…
In a letter addressed to Yemeni President Mr Rashad Al ALIMI and Prime Minister Mr Maeenn Abdulmalik Saeed, on 5 September 2023, the IFJ has joined its affiliate the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate in expressing extreme concern over the six-month occupation of YJS’ offices in the city of Aden.
In the letters to Yemeni President Mr Rashad Al ALIMI (here) and Prime Minister Mr Maeenn Abdulmalik Saeed (here) IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “If this act is not repelled, it could open the door for other YJS offices to fall into the hands of politically motivated groups. This is not just an attack on the YJS and its property, it is an attempt to destroy what the YJS…
Every week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned. Check all the international media coverage of IFJ, divided by language, in the period from September 2nd 2023 to September 8th 2023.
English
UK May Block Assange’s Attendance at Appeal to European Court of Human Rights - Truthout
Greece: Swift investigations required after two attacks against journalists - IFEX
Scrap all DSA cases against people over free speech - The Daily Star
Reporter Covering Illegal Mining in Amazon Lives Under Threat - VOA news
Afghanistan’s Taliban Release 9 Journalists After Wave of…
Surveillance of Journalists
The IFJ surveillance of journalists expert group is a body of officials and activists from affiliate unions who monitor and work to combat the covert surveillance of journalists.
We publicise examples of media workers being surveilled, encourage journalists to adopt defensive practices, and lobby governments and international bodies to create conditions where such surveillance is not lawful, not possible, or both.
The group is chaired by Tim Dawson, of the National Union Of Journalists In Britain and Ireland. He can be contacted via the IFJ.
At a meeting on 27 July 2021, and in reaction to recent revelations about the use of NSO’s Pegasus software to spy…
On September 4, Aleksandr Lukashenko‘s regime ordered the country’s embassies to stop issuing passports to citizens living abroad. A measure that will directly impact Belarusian journalists in exile and citizens who fled repression. The International and the European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) join their affiliate, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), in condemning the latest repressive action by the regime to crush free speech and political opposition. The Federations amplify their calls to immediately release the 33 imprisoned journalists in the country.
Belarusian citizens who fled the country, including journalists and media workers in exile, are facing increased…
Myanmar Now photojournalist Sai Zaw Thaike has been sentenced to over 20 years in prison on September 6, following his coverage of the impacts of the devastation caused by Cyclone Mocha in May. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the journalist’s sentencing and urges international governments, human rights organisations, and media groups to intensify efforts to end the military junta’s unrelenting assault on press freedom.
On September 6, a military tribunal in Yangon sentenced photojournalist Sai Zaw Thaike to 20 years in prison, the harshest sentence handed down to a media professional since the junta’s takeover of Myanmar in 2021. The journalist was arrested on…
L’Union Nationale des Journalistes de Côte d’Ivoire (UNJCI) en collaboration avec la Fédération internationale des journalistes (FIJ) a organisé un atelier de formation de deux jours sur les changements climatiques, les 29 et 30 août 2023 à Bouaké, en Côte d'Ivoire, dans le cadre du projet Union To Union (UTU) 2023. Cet atelier a rassemblé une vingtaine de journalistes de divers médias (radio, télévision, presse écrite et médias en ligne) de la localité.
La première journée de l’atelier a été consacrée à la familiarisation des journalistes aux concepts fondamentaux qui ont attrait aux changements climatiques. Ces termes et concepts ont été développés par Dr Hermann Kouakou Kanga,…
In June 1926 representatives of journalists unions from 21 countries met in Paris to establish a world-wide umbrella organisation. It was not the first attempt to do this, but the International Federation of Journalists that traces its origins to that gathering endured, and is the only body with a viable claim to speak with a truly global voice.
The journey from there to here – with plans in motion to celebrate the IFJ’s centenary – has had plenty of twists and turns. World war two created an interregnum; the cold war led to a split that endured, nominally at least, until 2016.
More surprising than the bumps in the road, or, indeed, recent issues that affect the international body,…
[MISE À JOUR 07.03.2024] Le journaliste Khalifa Guesmi, travaillant pour Radio Mosaïque, a été arrêté par les forces de sécurité tunisiennes le 3 septembre au matin. La Fédération internationale des journalistes (FIJ) exige sa libération immédiate et sans condition.
Le correspondant de Mosaique FM à Kairouan avait été condamné à un an de prison le 29 novembre 2022 pour “divulgation d'informations confidentielles d'ordre sécuritaire", après la publication sur le site de Radio Mosaïque d’une information portant sur le démantèlement d’une “cellule terroriste” et l’arrestation de ses membres.
Le journaliste avait fait appel du jugement.
Guesmi aurait refusé…
Quatre journalistes comoriens ont été condamnés le 24 août à 9 mois de prison avec sursis et à une amende de 150.000 francs comoriens (environ 300 euros) pour avoir rapporté des faits présumés de violence sexuelle au sein de la radio-télévision publique. La Fédération internationale des journalistes (FIJ) se joint à son affilié le Syndicat national des journalistes comoriens (SNJC) pour dénoncer une condamnation qui constitue un dangereux précédent pour la liberté d’expression et la lutte contre les violences sexuelles et sexistes.
Abdallah Mzembaba de RFI, Andjouza Abouheir et Toufé Maecha de la Gazette des Comores, et Oubeidillah Mchangama de Fcbk FM ont été condamnés le 24 août par…
Police in India’s eastern Manipur state have filed charges against four journalists associated with the Editors Guild of India, including its president, following the publication of a report analysing ongoing unrest in the region. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the registration of arbitrary cases against the journalists and urges the local authorities to withdraw all charges immediately.
On September 4, police in Manipur state filed criminal First Information Reports (FIR) against four senior journalists under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, following the September 2 publication of a report by the Editors Guild of India (EGI) analysing trends in media…
The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) in collaboration with UNESCO under the Global Media Defence Fund (GMDF) Project held a one- day Consultative Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya on Wednesday, 30 August, under the theme “Defending Journalists and Media Workers Rights by Seeking Redress through the Courts”.
The Consultative Workshop, which brought together members of the FAJ Steering Committee, union leaders, lawyers and a representative of the Pan – African Lawyers Association (PALU) was aimed at setting up a “Network of Lawyers” who are willing to work with the FAJ affiliated unions across the continent to defend freedom of expression and media freedom by challenging media violations in…
On 24 February 2023, it will be one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) are launching a new fundraising campaign to support Ukrainian journalists on the ground.
Ukraine became the deadliest country for journalists in 2022 with 12 colleagues killed in the course of their work, according to the IFJ’s Killed List, and the needs are immense.
The war still rages, and affects all dimensions of journalists' lives from increasing insecurity, to the need for protection equipment and safety training and humanitarian aid for those forced to flee.
As a response to the emergency situation, the IFJ and EFJ launched a special…
Nine journalists in Taliban custody across Afghanistan have been released following a campaign of arrests targeting foreign or exiled media outlets. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Afghan Independent Journalists Union (AIJU), condemn the Taliban’s crackdown on journalists and call for the immediate release of all media workers still in custody.
On September 2, Paktia journalist Habibullah Sarab, and Kunar journalist Parviz Sargand were released from Taliban custody, with reports emerging that their detentions were related to allegations of working for exiled media outlets. The pair had been in detention since August 11. The day prior, Zabul…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has joined the undersigned journalists’ and media freedom organisations in strongly condemning the recent attacks against Greek journalists Giorgos Papachristos and Kostas Vaxevanis and call on the authorities to swiftly investigate the attacks and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
On 29 August, Giorgos Papachristos, an editorialist and adviser at the centrist daily Ta Nea, was attacked at a football match in Athens. According to the case filed by the journalist, businessman and ship owner Yiannis Karagiorgis, backed by two bodyguards, punched him in the face and head in an unprovoked attack. Karagiorgis also reportedly…
En los últimos meses se registraron numerosos casos de hostigamiento y violencia contra trabajadorxs de la prensa dificultando su labor, ocasionando autocensura, en muchos casos obligándolxs al exilio junto a sus familias. Esta situación es muy preocupante, tanto para lxs periodistas que no pueden ejercer su tarea en las condiciones seguras que deberían ser garantizadas por las autoridades, como para la población que ve vulnerado su derecho al acceso a la información. La Federación Internacional de Periodistas se mantiene en alerta y demanda soluciones ante las condiciones en las que lxs periodistas y comunicadorxs realizan su labor en Colombia.
Las amenazas y hostigamiento a lxs…
Every week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned. Check all the international media coverage of IFJ, divided by language, in the period from August 26th 2023 to September 1st 2023.
English
Ukraine’s path to EU membership: Tackling corruption, an independent judiciary and reining in the oligarchs - El País English
Corruption, independent justice and stopping the oligarchs: Ukraine’s challenges to enter the EU - Morning Express
IFJ condemns Turkish attack on JIN TV: “Crimes against journalists must not go unpunished” - ANF News
Syrian journalists and Artificial Intelligence:…
En ocasión del Día Internacional de las Víctimas de Desapariciones Forzadas, diversas organizaciones sindicales conmemoraron a lxs trabajadores de prensa desaparecidxs en el ejercicio de su labor. En Perú, la Asociación Nacional de Periodistas (ANP) recordó a los reporteros Jaime Ayala, Hilario Ayuque y Pedro Yauri. En Argentina, la Intersindical por los Derechos Humanos junto al Sindicato de Prensa de Buenos Aires (Sipreba) inauguró un mural en homenaje al periodista desaparecido Rodolfo Walsh.
El 30 de agosto se conmemora el Día Internacional de las Víctimas de Desapariciones Forzadas, una fecha para numerosos países de América Latina y el Caribe significa una herida abierta. Dentro de…
BBC journalists in Cairo deserve fair pay that takes account of Egypt’s recent financial crisis, was the message delivered outside the Corporation’s headquarters yesterday.
Members of the National Union of Journalists in Britain and Ireland handed leaflets to BBC staff as they arrived at work at New Broadcasting House in central London. A flyer was even thrust into the hands of Director General Tim Davie.
The leaflet carried a message from Khaled El Belshy, President, Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate. “Our main demand is to peg their salaries to US dollars, backdated to February 2022 prior to the sharp devaluation of the Egyptian pound. We are demanding nothing but a fair wage to ensure…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and 18 other press freedom and human rights organisations have urged the government of Bangladesh to intervene in an ongoing Digital Security Act (DSA) case against journalist Adhora Yeasmean, who has suffered continual harassment and intimidation after reporting on alleged criminal activities of a religious organisation in the country. The IFJ urges the Bangladeshi authorities to guarantee the safety and security of all journalists and to ensure that neither the DSA nor the country’s Cyber Security Act are used to target journalists and freedom of expression.
In the letter sent to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh…
El periodista Manuel Calloquispe denunció amenazas tras la cobertura de un corte de ruta por parte de trabajadorxs de la minería ilegal en la región de Madre de Dios. Calloquispe es un comunicador nacido en la zona de frontera desde la que informa sobre como operan las mafias en complicidad de algunxs funcionarios públicos, y como éstas delinquen y depredan los recursos naturales. La Federación Internacional de Periodistas rechaza éstos hechos violentos y exige medidas de protección para Calloquispe, así como una rápida investigación.
Manuel Calloquispe, periodista de El Comercio, fue amenazado el 18 de agosto durante la cobertura de un corte de ruta de trabajadorxs de la actividad minera…
On August 24, director and owner of the radio station Voice of Yemen, Mujalli As-Samadi, was brutally assaulted in front of his house in Al-Safia area in Sana’a, by a gang of five individuals allegedly associated with the Houthi group. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate (YJS) in condemning the attack and calling for better protection measures for journalists and media workers in the country.
The assailants beat As-Samadi, and warned him to cease his work or risk ‘severe consequences’, said the journalist shared ‘X’, formerly Twitter.
It is not the first time that As-Samadi has been attacked, according to…
UPDATED 30.08.23 and 21.09.23 It will be a week on 29 August since the father of well-known Egyptian journalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada was arrested by security forces. The International Federation of journalists (IFJ) urges Egyptian authorities to release Gamal Abdel Hamid Ziada and stop intimidating the press.
On August 22, Egyptian security agents illegally arrested Gamal Abdel Hamid Ziada , the father of Ahmed Gamal Ziada – a journalist and editor-in-chief of the independent news web site Zawia3 now living in exile in Belgium.
Gamal Ziada owns a clothing manufacturing workshop and holds a Facebook account to promote his work. He has not been engaged in any political activities and was never…
A female journalist was attacked by a group of men following the deaths of five colliery workers in a workplace accident in Central-Eastern Kazakhstan, while separately another two media workers had equipment destroyed at a power station in the nation’s west. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Federation of Equal Journalists in Kazakhstan (FEJK) condemn the violence, obstruction and abuse of Kazakhstan media workers and calls on authorities to urgently investigate the matters.
On August 18, KazTAG journalist Diana Saparkyzy was forced away from the offices of the Kazakhstanskaya mine in the country’s central Karaganda region after being confronted by…
On August 23, a suspected drone attack near Qamishli city, in the de facto Autonomous Administration of North East Syria ruled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), killed driver Faisal Haj Sinan, an employee of Jin TV, a media organisation run by women journalists. Reporter Dalila Agid, who was working for the same outlet, was severely injured in the same attack. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urges the authorities of Türkiye to launch an immediate investigation and to hold the perpetrators accountable. The Federation restates the demand that journalists and media workers must not be targeted and they should be allowed to perform their work without interference.
A…
Do journalists deserve legal protection beyond that granted to the general population? For many of us, the instinctive answer is “no”. It is a matter of professional pride and identification with our audience that we do our work by graft and guile, not privileges withheld from others. There are aspects of reporting, however, that make it wholly unlike other occupations. Plenty of jobs involve exposure to accidental injury – in many cases, unacceptably so. Journalism, however, is the only civilian occupation where significant numbers lose their lives as a result of systematic and deliberate acts.
Around the world, 68 journalists were killed in 2022 – down from the all-time high of 155 in…
Every week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned. Check all the international media coverage of IFJ, divided by language, in the period from August 19th 2023 to August 25th 2023.
English
Why journalists deserve convention protecting ‘inalienable rights that are frequently denied’ - Press Gazette
Off colour: Spanish journalism’s ‘black Wednesdays’ - The Morning Star
US and Iran reach agreement amid escalating pressure, tensions and threats - World Socialist Website
Maharashtra: Shinde Sena MLA's Aides Attack Journalist for Raising Rape-Murder of Minor Girl - The…
Hubei self-media operator Lu Hua has reportedly been in detention since April 2023, with rights organisations raising awareness of his detention on August 19. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemn Hua’s arrest and urge authorities to ensure his immediate release.
On April 19, the head of self-media operation Hubei New Viewpoint Network Lu Hua was reportedly arrested by the Huanggang Public Security Bureau’s digital security division in China’s central Hubei province. Reports of his detention emerged following an investigation from a human rights advocacy publication. Lu serves as the sole legal representative for Hubei New Viewpoint Network’s affiliate parent company,…
Two journalists were allegedly assaulted by members of the student political organisation the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on August 21. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the assaults and urges authorities to conduct an immediate investigation into the incidents.
On August 21, several Jahangirnagar University (JU) BCL activists arrived at a campus guest hall, allegedly chasing a student. United News of Bangladesh JU correspondent and media studies student Asif Al Amin, then sitting outside the guest hall, went to investigate the incident upon hearing screams. The activists, reportedly suspecting the journalist had been recording them, proceeded to assault Al…
Cuatro funcionarixs del Ministerio Público emitieron oficios judiciales a distintos medios de comunicación que ordenaban revelar los nombres de lxs autorxs de notas de investigación vinculadas al ex presidente Horacio Cartes, en el marco de una causa judicial iniciada por el ex mandatario.
En lo que parece ser un nuevo ejemplo de judicialización de la labor periodística, lxs fiscales Aldo Cantero, Rodrigo Estigarribia y Daniela Benítez respondieron a la causa penal iniciada por el ex presidente Horacio Cartes a distintos medios de comunicación por “persecusión” emitiendo oficios judiciales donde piden a las patronales que revelen los nombres de periodistas responsables de notas de…
Journalists at the BBC’s Cairo bureau have started a ten-day strike in a dispute about pay. It follows a one-day strike in June and a three-day strike in July. The current action may be extended beyond the allotted stoppage if resolution cannot be reached.
Egypt has suffered extreme economic turbulence since Russian’s invasion of Ukraine caused commodity prices to soar, prompting investors to pull $20 billion from the country. Since March 2022, the Egyptian pound has lost half its value against the dollar, and in June inflation stood at 35.5 per cent.
Despite a series of meetings between BBC managers and Khaled Balchy, the general secretary of the Egyptian Journalists’ Union, journalists’…
Iranian photojournalist Mohammad Hossein Velayati was arrested by Taliban officials at Kabul International Airport on August 19 as he attempted to leave the country. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and its affiliate, the Afghan Independent Journalists Union (AIJU) condemn Velayati’s detention and call for his immediate release.
On August 22, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) news outlet, Tasnim News Agency, published an article detailing the arrest of the photojournalist at Kabul International Airport. According to the report, Velayati was visiting Afghanistan for non-work-related purposes for ten days yet the reasons behind his arrest are…
On August 23, a suspected drone attack near Qamishli city, in the de facto Autonomous Administration of North East Syria ruled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), killed driver Faisal Haj Sinan, an employee of Jin TV, a media organisation run by women journalists.
A team of Jin TV journalists were travelling in a media company car near Qamishli, a city located close to the Syrian-Turkish border, when the vehicle was hit by a suspected Turkish drone attack on August 23. According to media reports, the journalists were travelling on assignment.
This is the second time Tûrkiye has been accused of attacking journalists in the region.
IFJ, journalists, impunity, Syria, Turkey,…
Stand outside the offices where the Spanish national newspaper El País is published on any Wednesday morning in the past few months, and you might imagine that the staff are in mourning. Despite the sunshine, they are all wearing black. Across Madrid, at the home of El Mundo, a similar scene could be observed. Indeed, at many newspapers all over Spain, journalists have been reporting for work on Wednesdays wearing black from head to toe for some months.
It is part of a nationwide protest against terrible pay in the media, which appears to have rattled bosses. In July, management at El País agreed to a progressive 8 per cent raise until 2025, with a staggered increase according to the…
Independent news agency The Kashmir Walla has reported that its website and social media accounts are now unreachable in India. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the censorship of the independent media outlet and ongoing media repression in Kashmir.
According to the news agency, which is located in Srinagar, access to its website and social media platforms was restricted inside India by Indian officials from August 19. In a statement the website’s employees said: “On Saturday, August 19, we woke up to another deadly blow of finding access to our website and social media accounts blocked,”
The website’s service provider verified the occurrence of the blocking,…
It was the time of armed conflict in Kosovo, and journalists were doing their job. It was August 21, 1998, when the Radio Pristina media crew went on a work assignment to the Zočište monastery, in the west of Kosovo. Maybe it wasn't a stuffy and sticky summer day. Perhaps the weather was atypical for that time of year. These are events from a quarter of a century ago, so far away that perhaps no one even remembers.
Except for two families. They remember every detail. That was the day their lives were uprooted, left hanging in the grasp of that invisible hand of evil. To this day, their lives have not yet found their place, their soft landing and calm.
Journalist Đuro Slavuj…
Dissident journalists Elena Kostyuchenko, a former reporter for the investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta, and Irina Babloyan, previously a journalist for the broadcaster Ekho Moskvy, believe they were poisoned in Germany and Georgia respectively in October 2022. The International and the European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) call on the competent authorities to thoroughly investigate these disturbing allegations and bring the perpetrators to justice. The Federations urged governments to protect Russian journalists in exile.
German authorities are investigating a possible poisoning on Russian journalist Elena Kostyuchenko in October 2022, the Berlin prosecutor has confirmed,…
Journalist Vimal Kumar Yadav was fatally shot in the chest outside his house in Bihar state in Eastern India on August 18. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliates the National Union of Journalists – India (NUJ-I) and the Indian Journalists’ Union (IJU) condemn the murder and call for the perpetrators to be brought to swift justice.
A reporter with local daily newspaper Dainik Jagran, 35-year-old Yadav was shot in the chest at approximately 5.30am on Friday morning after answering a knock at the door of his home located in the Raniganj market area of Araria district. Araria police later arrested four suspects in connection with the murder
Yadav’s wife,…
Every week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned. Check all the international media coverage of IFJ, divided by language, in the period from August 12th 2023 to August 18th 2023.
English
Catastrophe for Afghanistan’s media but we could speed recovery - Press Gazette
Afghanistan: More Journalist Incarcerations As Taliban Marks Two Years In Power - Public Now
PFUJ/IFJ Condemn KTN Journalist’s Murder - News Pakistan TV
The Assange case is about much more than Assange himself - Council Estate Media
Senior journalist Jan Mohammad Mahar murdered in Pakistan - News Intervention
Pakistan:…
On August 17, journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Bulbul, Editor in Chief of Kaab Somali TV, was arrested and taken into custody in Mogadishu after allegedly investigating and publishing a story that imputed corruption within the police’s ranks. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its Somali affiliate, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), in condemning the arbitrary arrest and ongoing detention of journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Bulbul by the Somali Federal Police (SPF), and demands his immediate release.
The IFJ-affiliate noted that the detained journalist is being singled out due to the performance of his journalistic duties and was operating well within the framework…
On 18 August, journalist Vimal Kumar Yadav was fatally shot in the chest outside his house in Bihar state in Eastern India. A reporter with local daily newspaper Dainik Jagran, 35-year-old Yadav was shot in the chest at approximately 5.30AM after answering a knock at the door of his home located in the Raniganj market area of Araria district. Araria police later arrested four suspects in connection with the murder.
India, Indian, journalist, impunity, Vimal Kumar Yadav, safety, IFJ, union,
Sukkur Police have registered the case of assassinated senior journalist Jan Mohammad after the journalist’s brother petitioned a report saying he was killed for his public interest journalism. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), strongly condemns the brutal assassination and calls for an urgent investigations.
The FIR (first Information report) was filed at the C-Section police station in Sukkur on the complaint of Karamullah, the son of Muhammad Paryal Mahar and elder brother of deceased journalist Jan Muhammad Mahar, under Sections 302, 120-B, 337 H(2), 440, 147, 148, 149 PPC, 6/7ATA against the assailants…
Members of the Jamaat-e-Islami and its student organisation, Islami Chhatra Shibir, attacked five television journalists late in the hours of August 14 and the early hours of August 15 following the death of religious leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the brutal attack on the journalists and calls for urgent investigations to find the perpetrators.
Members of the hardline political group carried out the attack on the media workers after a news broadcast in front of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in Dhaka's Shahbagh area. Reporter Sheikh Farid and RTV camera operator Ayatullah Manik were among those injured, as was…
Maharashtra journalist Sandeep Mahajan was assaulted by a group of men on August 9 after publishing statements online about Maharashtra’s chief minister, with the attack captured and shared online. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the India Journalist Union (IJU) in calling for action to be taken against the minister in line with the state’s journalist protection laws.
The assault on the Maharashtra Daily journalist in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon area was captured in a video that went viral the following day. In the video, Mahajan is seen being pulled from his motorbike and beaten up by at least three men. The men have since been alleged to be supporters of…
After a wave of media arrests in early August, a further three journalists were taken in by the Taliban government personnel in Kandahar province on August 14, while a radio station in Helmand province was ordered to stop the broadcast of women’s voices. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) demands the Taliban authorities cease the campaign of harassment against media
workers in the country and respect the media’s duty and right to report.
Attaullah Omar, a reporter with TOLO News; Waheedur Rahman Afghanmal, a reporter with Daily Etilat-e Roz and Alive-in Afghanistan, and Shamsullah Omari, a freelance journalist were separately arrested in Kandahar province on August 14.…
Until two years ago, the news media in Afghanistan thrived. There were 160 television stations, 311 radio stations, 90 print newspapers and 26 news agencies jostling for attention. Nearly 12,000 people, most of them journalists, worked to create content. In a country of many tongues, it seemed there was space for everyone to make their voice heard.
The contrast today is stark; nearly 100 television stations have closed, a third of radio stations no longer broadcast, only 11 newspapers remain and half the news agencies have shut up shop. The fate of the journalists themselves is more troubling still.
A small proportion have found their way to Western countries – usually when…
Timor Leste’s newest government should defend the country’s public broadcaster Rádio e Televisão de Timor-Leste (RTTL) and its vital role as a voice of democracy in the region. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on Timor Leste’s new political leaders to respect the hard-fought editorial independence of its media and, in particular, its public broadcaster which is driving a strong, sustainable model.
The future of South East Asia’s youngest democracy and its media industry was the focus on August 11 at a public forum in Dili, when Timor Leste’s President, Jose Ramos Horta, called on the country’s government to embed ideas of public broadcasting in the nation’s psyche in…
The South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) today called for urgent international support to help Afghan journalists and media workers displaced and forced into exile in the two years since the fall of the country to the Taliban. SAMSN today described the situation as a humanitarian crisis and urged governments globally to expedite and open more resettlement pathways.
The Taliban’s ascent to power in August 2021 was catastrophic for Afghanistan’s media. A dramatic increase in media rights violations, the systematic targeting of women’s rights including the right to work, the introduction of repressive legislation targeting the media, and the economic collapse of the country’s once…
India’s parliament has passed legislation that threatens to increase government surveillance, undermine freedom of information, and impact press freedom. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Indian Journalists Union (IJU), in urging Indian authorities to review the new bills and ensure that press freedom is upheld in India.
On August 9, India’s Rajya Sabha, or Upper House, passed the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill 2023. Critics identify the bill’s potential for widening censorship, increasing surveillance of journalists and their sources, and undermining Right To Information (RTI) legislation.
The IJU says the DPDP Bill will…
The availability of news and information in Afghanistan has shrunk dramatically since the Taliban take over. Of more than 90 printed newspapers produced before 15 August 2021, only 11 remain. The number of television and radio stations has fallen by more than fifty percent, and the total number of media workers employed in the country has fallen by more than half. Two years ago, a quarter of Afghan journalists were women, today they make up only 15 per cent of the profession.
Those journalists who continue to work face the most daunting conditions. Since the Taliban take over, seven have died, 14 have been injured and 26 have been arrested. Legal challenges, harassment, and intimidation are…
Journalists in Afghanistan face some of the toughest conditions in the world. From the time of the Taliban take over, in August 2021, their situation has grown progressively worse. Thousands have left Afghanistan altogether. A fortunate few are building new lives in the United States, Canada, France, the UK and elsewhere. Far more live in precarious exile in neighbouring countries. Some have remained in Afghanistan and continue to try and serve their readers, listeners and viewers.
In August 2023, IFJ affiliate the Afghan National Journalists Union (ANJU) published a sobering survey of the country’s media.
From the moment that regime change seemed certain, in August 2021, the IFJ has…
Journalist Jose Rizal Pajares was arrested in Iriga City, Visayas on August 2 after allegedly accessing crime records without police permission. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of The Philippines (NUJP) condemn the arrest and subsequent detention.
Jose Rizal Pajares, a reporter for private radio station Radyo Natin, was arrested on August 2 on the island of Camarines Sur in Visayas after he allegedly accessed the Iriga City Police Station’s blotter, a register of crime incidents or other significant events in the city. The broadcaster said Pajares had already requested access from an on-duty police officer.
According…
Every week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned. Check all the international media coverage of IFJ, divided by language, in the period from August 5th 2023 to August 11th 2023.
ENGLISH
Russia accused of deliberately targeting journalists in Ukraine - Atlantic Council
Russia's war with Ukraine has generated its own fog, and mis- and disinformation are everywhere - ABC News
European journalists warn the Armenian government - Put an end to persecution of the press! - Azer News
Syria: TV journalist killed in roadside bomb in Daraa province - Euro Es Euro
Hong Kong’s homegrown security…
Senior journalist Jan Mohammad Mahar died after sustaining multiple shots fired from close range in a targeted attack in Sukkur, Sindh Province, on August 13. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), strongly condemns the brutal assassination and calls for an urgent investigation to bring his attackers to account.
According to reports, the senior journalist and Kawish Television Network (KTN) Sukkur bureau chief was shot several times after leaving the broadcaster’s offices after 9pm on August 13. A colleague said Mahar was inside his vehicle at the time he was fired upon by unidentified assailants who were…
Senior journalist Jan Mohammad Mahar died after sustaining multiple shots fired from close range in a targeted attack in Sukkur, Sindh Province, on 13 August. According to reports, the senior journalist and Kawish Television Network (KTN) Sukkur bureau chief was shot several times after leaving the broadcaster’s offices after 9PM. A colleague said Mahar was inside his vehicle at the time he was fired upon by unidentified assailants who were riding on a motorbike. Mehar was initially taken to Civil Hospital before being transferred to a private medical facility where is died from his injuries.
Pakistan, Pakistani, journalist, impunity, safety, killing, union, Jan…
Journalist Ahmed Hassan Al-Zoubi, sentenced to one year in jail on August 9, and journalist Hiba Abu Taha, arrested on August 8, are being prosecuted on charges of defamation under the current Internet Crimes Law. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the prosecution of journalists and calls on the Jordanian authorities to drop all charges against them. The crackdown on media is expected to worsen under new cybercrime law adopted by the Parliament on July 27, if it comes into force after signature by the King.
On August 9, prominent satirical journalist Ahmed Hassan Al-Zoubi was sentenced to one year in jail by a Jordanian court of appeal. His case is linked to a…
Twenty-eight women journalists successfully completed two safety training sessions in Ramallah from August 1 to 3, and Gaza from August 6 to 9. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in collaboration with the Marie Colvin Journalists’ Network (MCJN) and its affiliate, the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS), organised the workshops with the valuable support of the Norwegian Union of Journalists and funds from the Norwegian government.
“It is essential that Palestinian women journalists, particularly those reporting from the Gaza Strip, are able to identify the extent and the nature of the risks they face in their daily journalistic work,” said the Palestinian safety…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has expressed its deepest concern at a sudden surge of journalists arrested in Afghanistan. The arrests have taken place in the provinces of Kundaz, Nangarhar and Paktia.
Habibullah Sarab, an independent reporter for Ariana TV in Paktia; Jan Agha Salah, and Faquir Mohammad Faqirzai, reporters from Kilid Radio in Nangarhar; and Haseeb Hasas, from Radio Salam Watandar are among those who have been detained in the past two weeks.
IFJ affiliate, the Afghan Independent Journalists Union (AIJA) has not yet established the reason for the arrests, but it believes that this action by the security forces will further weaken free expression in…
Two new solidarity centres, providing emergency accommodation and a range of support services for exiled Afghan journalists in Pakistan, have been launched by the International Federation of Journalists and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists with the support of UNESCO.
The two guest houses in Islamabad – one dedicated exclusively to women journalists – are opening their doors to Afghan journalists who are currently awaiting visa or resettlement decisions from third countries and will provide accommodation, meals and legal and psychological support among other services.
Growing numbers of exiled Afghan journalists have been forced to endure poverty and homelessness as they await visa or…
The International and the European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) and the undersigned media freedom, freedom of expression, human rights, and journalists’ organisations strongly condemn the latest incident of judicial harassment against journalist Barış Pehlivan and reiterate calls to the Turkish authorities to respect media freedom.
On August 2, journalist Barış Pehlivan was informed via an SMS from the Ministry of Justice that he was expected to turn himself over to the Marmara Low Security Correctional Institution (formerly Silivri) between August 1-15, 2023. Pehlivan has already been incarcerated four times due to his journalism, two of those being one day behind bars in February…
UPDATED 10.08.2023 A reporter from the privately owned Sama TV, Firas al-Ahmad, was killed on August 9 when a roadside bomb exploded in al-Shiah district in the southern province of Daraa. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) mourns the death of al-Ahmad and urges the Syrian government to launch a thorough investigation into the killing and hold those responsible accountable .
The reporter was travelling in a vehicle with two security officers of the Syrian armed forces, who were also killed in the bomb explosion, when returning from a counter narcotics operation in Daraa province, near the Jordanian border, Syrian News Agency reported.
Al-Ahmad is the first…
Malaysian online news portals UtusanTV and MalaysiaNow have been blocked by authorities ahead of critical state elections. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia (NUJM) condemn the media controls and urge the country’s media authorities to respect press freedom.
On August 7, visitors to the online news portal UtusanTV were met with a notification message informing viewers the website was not accessible for domestic audiences due to a violation of ‘national law’. Data sourced from Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) found UtusanTV.com was blocked from August 7, with users able to access the site…
