Articles by European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
![People hold posters reading 'Where do Belarusian journalists end up when they go to work?', 'They did their job and ended up in Okrestina' [detenion centre], and 'Free Minsk From Violence' during a rally in support of detained journalists, Minsk, Belarus, 3 September 2020, Natalia FedosenkoTASS via Getty Images](https://ifex.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/belarus-protest-journalists-detained-prison-okrestina-getty-768x511.jpg)
Belarus: 17 organisations call for all imprisoned journalists to be immediately released
At least 11 journalists and media workers remain in detention, among them Katsiaryna Barysevich, Daria Chultsova, Yulia Slutskaya, Alla Sharko, Siarhei Alsheuski, Sergey Olshevski, Petr Slutski, Ksenia Lutskina, Andrei Aliaksandrau, Katsiaryna Andreeva and Aliaksandr Mikrukou.
![The editor-in-chief of the Mediazona portal, Sergey Smirnov (C), is detained by the police during a solo protest in support of another arrested journalist, outside the Ministry of Interior Affairs, Moscow, Russia, 28 May 2020, Vladimir GerdoTASS via Getty Images](https://ifex.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/russia-mediazona-editor-sergey-smirnov-detained-getty-768x511.jpg)
Russia: 25 days in jail for a retweet
“Mediazona” editor-in-chief Sergey Smirnov was accused of violating the rules for holding public events based on a tweet containing the date and time of a rally in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
![Law enforcement officers detain a journalist during a Women's Solidarity opposition event, in Minsk, Belarus, 19 September 2020, Natalia FedosenkoTASS via Getty Images](https://ifex.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/belarus-journalists-arrested-protest-andrei-alexandrov-getty-768x511.jpg)
Belarusian authorities should immediately release Andrei Alexandrov and other jailed journalists
Journalist Andrei Alexandrov was detained on charges of violating public order. He was Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists and has worked for Index on Censorship and ARTICLE 19.
![A protester stands in front of a line of riot police and a water cannon, Minsk, Belarus, 27 September 2020, Jana Nizovtseva/Flickr, CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication](https://ifex.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/belarus-protest-riot-police-water-cannon-wikipedia-768x511.jpg)
EFJ urges International Ice Hockey Federation to press Lukashenka on media freedom ahead of World Championship
“We urge the IIHF to request the government of Belarus to take concrete steps to ensure greater respect for press freedoms, including the release of the unjustly imprisoned journalists. We ask you to reach out to Lukashenka and strongly urge him to take immediate action to ensure that human rights principles are respected.”
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Azerbaijani journalist Arzu Geybulla targeted in online harassment campaign
Geybulla has been unjustly accused of betraying her country for taking a measured and journalistic stance in the face of the recent armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
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Protecting public watchdogs across the EU: A proposal for an EU anti-SLAPP law
As democracy and the rule of law come increasingly under pressure in a number of EU countries, the undersigned organisations call on EU policymakers to urgently put forward an EU anti-SLAPP Directive to protect public watchdogs that help hold the powerful to account and keep democratic debate alive.
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French bill would prohibit dissemination of images of police
Those who disseminate images with the “intent to cause harm” would face up to one year in prison and fines of up to 45,000 euros.
![](https://ifex.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/germany-leipzig-protests-journalists-getty.jpg-768x511.jpg)
At least 43 journalists targeted at COVID-19 protest in Germany
While police impeded journalists’ work, protesters – which included members of the far right and Covid-19 conspiracy theorists – abused, threatened, chased and physically attacked members of the press.