Constitutional Court of Albania Strengthens Freedom of Expression in…

Constitutional Court of Albania Strengthens Freedom of Expression in Elton Qyno Case

Joint Statement by the SafeJournalists Network, partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), welcoming the decision of the Constitutional Court of Albania, which overturned the lower-court orders allowing the search and seizure of journalist Elton Qyno’s equipment, reinforcing the importance of protecting journalistic sources and freedom of expression in line with international standards.

29 April 2025

On 22 April 2025, the Constitutional Court of Albania delivered a unanimous 8–0 judgement setting aside lower-court orders authorising the search of journalist Elton Qyno and the seizure of his electronic equipment and directed that all data extracted from those devices be destroyed. The Court held that these measures amounted to a disproportionate interference with freedom of expression and the protection of journalistic sources, rights enshrined in Article 22 of the Albanian Constitution and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

We, the undersigned organisations, welcome this ruling. In an open letter of January 2024, we jointly cautioned that compelling Mr Qyno to reveal his source and confiscating his work materials risked undermining internationally recognised standards and chilling investigative reporting in Albania. The Constitutional Court has now confirmed that journalists may not be required to disclose their sources unless an overriding public interest is demonstrably at stake and no less intrusive avenue is available. The Court’s decision underscores the need for internal safeguards whenever investigations intersect with freedom of expression and media freedom.

We therefore encourage the competent authorities to give immediate effect to the Constitutional Court’s judgement by returning devices to Mr Qyno and formally confirming the deletion of all copies of seized data.

Looking ahead, while our organisations support the fight against corruption in Albania and the role the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office plays here, we invite the SPAK, the judiciary, and competent law enforcement authorities to handle cases involving journalists, public watchdogs and media in line with standards established by the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence which emphasises the protection of journalistic sources, freedom of expression, and the necessity of proportionality in any cases related to journalists and public watchdogs.

Our organisations will continue to monitor the implementation of the Court’s ruling and to support Albanian journalists in defending their rights.

Signed by:

SafeJournalists Network

Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
BH Journalists Association
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Independent Journalists Association of Serbia
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro

Media Freedom Rapid Response partners

Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
International Press Institute (IPI)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
ARTICLE 19 Europe

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

This statement was coordinated by the SafeJournalists Network, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

Media Freedom Rapid Response Input regarding the EU Democracy…

Media Freedom Rapid Response Input regarding the EU Democracy Shield

29.04.2025

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to establish a robust response to threats against democracy through the EU Democracy Shield. The MFRR, led by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) and supported by ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the International Press Institute (IPI), and the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), has developed its official input for the EU Democracy Shield. This input emphasises the need for a rights-based approach, promoting media resilience and the safety of journalists as core requirements for preserving democracy in Europe. It focuses on critical areas such as the economic viability of independent media, the safety of journalists, legal protections, and the challenges posed by AI.

The MFRR highlights several pressing concerns, including the dominance of platforms that leads to losses in advertising revenue, reduced funding for media and media organizations, the growing threat of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), surging online attacks on media freedom, and the use of spyware against journalists, media workers, and outlets. The input calls for structural reforms to support public interest journalism, ensure fair negotiation conditions with Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs), establish mechanisms to protect against surveillance targeting the media, and strengthen measures against foreign agent-style legislation that poses a significant threat. Furthermore, the input advocates for transparency and a rights-focused approach in AI governance to prevent further erosion of viability and trust in the media.

It is essential to emphasise the need for the EU Democracy Shield to serve as a practical mechanism providing robust support for press and media freedom in order to uphold democratic values. The MFRR partners urge the European Commission and Member States to incorporate these recommendations and act swiftly to safeguard the fundamental role of independent media in democratic societies.

Download the MFRR Input on the EU Democracy Shield

This input was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

Turkey: Swedish journalist Joakim Medin to face terrorism and…

Turkey: Swedish journalist Joakim Medin to face terrorism and insult charges as pre-trial detention continues

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners strongly condemned the decision to charge Joakim Medin with terrorism related actions in addition to the insult charges that were used to justify his initial arrest.

29.04.2025

Medin, whose first court hearing has been scheduled for April 30, now faces up to twelve years imprisonment if convicted of both indictments.

Since 19 March, over 13 journalists have been arrested and charged with different offences, with at least 12 journalists subjected to police violence. The situation has taken an unprecedented turn with Medin’s detention—marking a rare case where a foreign journalist has faced such charges. His treatment, mirroring that of Turkish journalists, signals a dangerous escalation in the government’s crackdown and serves as a clear warning to international media covering the country’s political unrest.

Medin, a regular contributor to the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens ETC and member of the Swedish Union of Journalists (SJF), was initially detained at Istanbul Airport on 27 March 2025, while travelling to cover protests following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. He was subsequently transferred to Silivri Prison.

The reason for his initial detention stemmed from a 2023 investigation by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding Medin’s alleged participation in a Stockholm protest where a puppet of President Erdoğan was hung by its feet. The allegations of Medin’s involvement were promptly denied by the protest organisers.

This incident is the basis for the charges of insulting the President that will be considered at his first hearing on 30 April at the 79th Criminal Court of First Instance in Ankara. The terrorism-related charges have been submitted to the Ankara 17th High Criminal Court, with the trial date still pending.

While the authorities stated that the detention is unrelated to his journalistic activities, the evidence cited against Medin consists primarily of his journalistic work, including social media posts, published articles, and books. His legal representative, MLSA co-director Veysel Ok, has emphasised that there is no concrete evidence beyond legitimate journalistic activities.

This case represents a further deterioration of press freedom in Turkey, where the authorities have intensified their crackdown on journalists. The broadcast regulator RTÜK has also imposed severe restrictions on media outlets, including broadcasting bans and threats to withdraw licenses.

The MFRR partners call for the immediate release of Joakim Medin and the dropping of charges against all of the journalists. We urge Turkish authorities to cease the criminalisation of journalism under anti-terrorism laws and demand an end to the ongoing crackdown on press freedom and the harassment of journalists. Furthermore, we call on the international community to pressure Turkish authorities to end their systematic suppression of press freedom.

Signed by:

International Press Institute (IPI)
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)

This statement was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

Reporting on protests amid repression in Turkey, Serbia, and…

Reporting on protests amid repression in Turkey, Serbia, and Georgia

30 April, 12:00 CET

As authoritarianism rises and democratic institutions weaken across parts of Europe, journalists on the frontlines of protest coverage are increasingly under attack. In Turkey, Serbia, and Georgia, reporters face escalating threats — from police violence and arbitrary detention to online censorship, legal harassment, and coordinated smear campaigns. These tactics not only silence critical voices but also undermine the public’s right to information.

To mark World Press Freedom Day 2025, this webinar will examine the hostile environment facing independent media in these three countries.

Through firsthand accounts and expert insights, the panel will explore:

The risks journalists face while covering protests and state abuses
Legal and regulatory tools used to restrict independent reporting
Digital repression and attacks on press freedom online
Strategies for resistance and the role of international actors in promoting accountability

This conversation will also consider how the EU, human rights organisations, and civil society can respond to growing repression and support a freer media environment.

Moderator

Oliver Money-Kyrle

Head of Europe Advocacy and Programmes at International Press Institute (IPI)

Speakers

Moreta Bobokhidze

Eurasia Department Programme Officer, Civil Rights Defenders

Özgür Öğret

Turkey Representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

Uroš Jovanovic

Manager of the Public Policy Program at Civic Initiatives

Greece: Investigative media win latest victory in spyware SLAPP…

Greece: Investigative media win latest victory in spyware SLAPP ruling

IPI stands behind Reporters United and Efimerida ton Syntakton. The International Press Institute (IPI) today joins partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFFR) in welcoming the recent ruling by a court in Athens which overwhelmingly dismissed the vexatious lawsuits against journalists from two Greek media outlets over their investigative reporting on the connections of the nephew of the country’s Prime Minister to a spyware scandal.

22.04.2025

On 8 April, the Multi Member Court of First Instance of Athens ruled in favour of journalists Nikolas Leontopoulos, Thodoris Chondrogiannos and Christoforos Kasdaglis from investigative media outlet Reporters United and reporter Dimitris Terzis of newspaper Efimerida ton Syntakton (EfSyn), concluding that their reporting on Grigoris Dimitriadis and his connection to a spyware scandal had been accurate.

The reporting revealed how Dimitriadis’ phone number had been used to target 11 individuals with spyware hacks. At the time, Dimitriadis was serving as the Secretary General of the PM’s Office and was responsible for overseeing the Greek National Intelligence Service (EYP). The spyware targets had included the head of the Greek Police and the prosecutor of the EYP. The reporting did not suggest Dimitriadis was responsible for the hacking, only that his phone number had been used.

Dimitriadis had demanded exorbitant fees of €950,0000 in compensation. In its ruling, the court dismissed the allegations and ordered him to pay legal costs of €4,750. It did not identify a single defamatory or objectionable element in the articles. The court did rule that a single headline by EfSyn in its newspaper article constituted simple defamation and ordered the media outlet to pay €3,000 in damages and €450 for legal costs. After the verdict, Dimitriadis claimed he had been “vindicated” and claimed the media outlets had spread “fake news”. EfSyn said it plans to appeal that verdict.

The MFRR welcomes the ruling, which found the reporting itself to have been 100% accurate. However, we note with concern the singular ruling against EfSyn and hope this will be swiftly overturned on appeal. These lawsuits were widely considered to be SLAPPs, a form of abusive litigation aimed at suppressing legitimate public interest reporting. In October 2021, Dimitriadis was awarded the satirical ‘SLAPP Politician of the Year Award’ 2022 by the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE). In its latest verdict, the court did not rule on whether the lawsuits were SLAPPs, which are not recognised under Greek law.

Our organisations, which provided financial support to Reporters United for legal fees through our MFRR Legal Support Fund, will continue to defend independent investigative journalism in Greece. As noted in our 2023 report following a mission to Athens, SLAPPs and abusive lawsuits pose an increasing threat to media freedom in Greece.

This case underscores the need for the swift implementation by Greek authorities of the EU’s April 2024 Anti-SLAPP Directive, and to ensure Its provisions to protect journalists against vexatious lawsuits also apply to domestic cases. We note that the European Commission’s 2022 Recommendation on SLAPPs also calls on Member States to combine the directive with reforms to civil and criminal law to protect against abusive proceedings against journalists – another reform greatly needed in Greece.

We note with concern that Dimitriadis has appealed a previous verdict from October 2024 which dismissed separate lawsuits against Reporters United, EfSyn and reporters Nikolas Leontopoulos, Thodoris Chondrogiannos and Thanasis Koukakis. The appeal will now be heard in October 2025. As the legal cases continue, our organisations will continue to closely monitor the situation and advocate for stronger laws to protect media and journalists in Greece from SLAPPs.

The reporting by Reporters United and EfSyn was part of the Predator Files investigation, published as a collaboration by international media including Der Spiegel, Mediapart, Le Soir, Domani and InfoLibre. The reporting can be accessed here.

If you are a media outlet in an EU Member State or Candidate Country which is facing a SLAPP, you can apply for MFRR legal aid here.

Signed by:

International Press Institute (IPI)

This statement was coordinated by IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

Fact Sheet: More than 5,000 press freedom violations in…

Fact Sheet: More than 5,000 press freedom violations in Europe since 2020

16.04.2025

Since the beginning of the MFRR project in 2020, the Mapping Media Freedom (MapMF) database has documented a steady rise of press freedom violations in EU Member States and Candidate Countries. In five years of monitoring, the project has documented over 5,000 attacks that have affected over 8,500 media-related persons and entities.

This fact-sheet summarises the most important data drawn from the past five years of monitoring the press freedom situation in Europe, including trends and emerging issues. Digital attacks have become especially prominent over the past couple of years, including novel types of threats such as spoofing, deep fakes, hacking or DDoS attacks. Verbal harassment – especially online – remains the most common type of attack followed by legal and physical attacks. Private individuals are by far the most common perpetrators behind press freedom attacks, followed by the police and government officials. Following the digital space, demonstrations are the second most common scene of press freedom violations – and the most dangerous workplace for journalists in Europe.

Looking ahead, there has been a concerning increase of attacks in the context of elections and reporting on environmental issues. The MapMF has also started to track Foreign Agent Laws as an emerging trend that is foreshadowing an increasingly hostile environment for press freedom in the future.

Download the Fact Sheet

Greece: Total impunity persists on fourth anniversary of Giorgos…

Greece: Total impunity persists on fourth anniversary of Giorgos Karaivaz murder

The undersigned international media freedom and journalist organisations today mark the fourth anniversary of the killing of Greek crime reporter Giorgos Karaivaz in April 2021 with a renewed call for justice and an end to ongoing impunity, which continues to cast a dark shadow over the Greek media and press freedom landscape.

09 April 2025

Karaivaz, a veteran reporter specialised in police and crime issues, was gunned-down outside his home in Athens by two men on a moped on 9 April 2021, in what is widely suspected to have been a professional contract killing linked to organised crime groups.

In July 2024, two brothers arrested in May 2023 and charged with participating in the murder were found not guilty by a court due to insufficient evidence following an investigation in which key evidence was mysteriously destroyed. Karaivaz’s family has appealed this decision, arguing that evidence and testimonies were not properly assessed. However, these appeals to the Supreme Court were rejected and in December 2024, the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court issued a ruling closing the case.

In December 2024, the Mixed Jury Court of Athens then ruled conclusively that Karaivaz was murdered because of his journalistic work. This ruling represented a welcome recognition of the centrality of his journalistic work to his killing, though did nothing to further the case.

Since the acquittals, no additional arrests have been made and our organisations are aware of no further tangible progress in the criminal investigation, despite the fact that two other suspects are still wanted in connection with the murder. The result is that one of the most serious attacks on journalism in the European Union in recent years remains in a state of total impunity.

On the fourth anniversary of the killing, we therefore urge law enforcement authorities and prosecutors to renew their efforts to identify, detain, and prosecute all those involved in the killing, from the gunmen to the mastermind, in whichever country they may be, if necessary with the assistance of international bodies such as Europol.

Our organisations stand by the family and colleagues of Karaivaz in their ongoing search for justice and accountability for the assassination. Our organisations, which conducted a joint mission to Athens in 2023 during which we met with the family as well as judicial and law enforcement authorities, will continue to push for answers and justice.

Signed by:

International Press Institute (IPI)
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
ARTICLE 19 Europe
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

Turkey: Detained Swedish journalist Joakim Medin must be released…

Turkey: Detained Swedish journalist Joakim Medin must be released immediately

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners strongly condemn the arrest of Swedish journalist Joakim Medin on terrorism charges in Turkey and call for his immediate release. This is the latest incident amidst the ongoing crackdown on press freedom in which dozens of journalists have been arrested and beaten.

03.04.2025

Türkçe açıklama aşağıdadır.

On 27 March 2025, Joakim Medin, a regular contributor to the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens ETC and member of the Swedish Union of Journalists (SJF), was travelling to cover the widespread protests against the recent arrest of Istanbul Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu. Medin was detained by police shortly after landing in Istanbul.

On 30 March, the Turkish authorities confirmed in a statement that he had been charged with being a “member of an armed terrorist organisation” and “insulting the President”, stating that “the detention order is unrelated to his journalistic activities”.

The charges stem from an investigation launched in 2023 by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Terrorism Crimes Investigation Bureau related to what they claimed was Medin’s participation in a protest in Stockholm, in which a puppet of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was hung by its feet. His participation was promptly denied by the organisers of the protest.

According to the Swedish Union of Journalists (SJF), Medin has been transferred to Marmara Prison in Silivri, a high-security prison where political prisoners are being detained.

The arrest is the latest case in a rapidly worsening crackdown on press freedom in the wake of nationwide protests. Since the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on 19 March, the MFRR has documented over 13 journalists arrested, of whom at least seven have been charged with violating the law on meetings and demonstrations. At least 12 journalists have been victims of police violence. Moreover, the broadcast regulator has issued numerous fines against broadcasters, including one temporary broadcasting ban and threatened to withdraw licences from media that do not rely solely on official sources.

The MFRR strongly condemns the unjustified arrest of Medin, calls for his immediate release, and for the charges against him and all other journalists to be dropped. We further call on the Turkish authorities to allow all foreign journalists, including foreign correspondents, to work freely and document ongoing events in Turkey in the name of the right to freedom of information.

The MFRR will continue to monitor Medin’s situation closely and continue to advocate for all journalists detained as a result of the crackdown on the press.

Signed by:

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
International Press Institute (IPI)
Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)

Türkiye: Tutuklanan İsveçli Gazeteci Joakim Medin Derhal Serbest Bırakılmalıdır

Medya Özgürlüğü Acil Müdahale (MFRR) ortakları, İsveçli gazeteci Joakim Medin’in Türkiye’de terör suçlamalarıyla tutuklanmasını en güçlü şekilde kınamakta ve derhal serbest bırakılmasını talep etmektedir. Bu olay, onlarca gazetecinin tutuklandığı ve darp edildiği medya özgürlüğüne yönelik devam eden baskının son örneğidir.

27 Mart 2025 tarihinde, İsveç’te faaliyet gösteren günlük gazete Dagens ETC’nin düzenli yazarlarından ve İsveç Gazeteciler Sendikası (SJF) üyesi olan Joakim Medin, İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediye Başkanı ve cumhurbaşkanı adayı Ekrem İmamoğlu’nun yakın zamanda tutuklanmasına karşı düzenlenen kitlesel eylemleri takip etmek için seyahat ediyordu. Medin, İstanbul’a iniş yaptıktan kısa bir süre sonra polis tarafından gözaltına alındı.

30 Mart’ta, yetkililer bir açıklama yaparak Medin’in “silahlı terör örgütü üyeliği” ve “Cumhurbaşkanı’na hakaret” suçlamalarıyla tutuklandığını doğruladı ve “tutuklama kararının gazetecilik faaliyetleriyle ilgili olmadığını” iddia etti.

Suçlamalar, Ankara Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı Terör Suçları Soruşturma Bürosu tarafından 2023 yılında başlatılan ve Medin’in Stockholm’de düzenlenen bir protestoya katıldığı iddiasına dayanan bir soruşturma kapsamında yöneltildi. Söz konusu protestoda, Cumhurbaşkanı Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’ın bir kuklası ayaklarından asılmıştı. Ancak protestoyu düzenleyenler, Medin’in bu eyleme katıldığı iddiasını derhal yalanladı.

İsveç Gazeteciler Sendikası’na (SJF) göre Medin, siyasi mahkumların tutulduğu yüksek güvenlikli Silivri’de bulunan Marmara Cezaevi’ne nakledildi.

Bu tutuklama, ülke genelindeki protestoların ardından medya özgürlüğüne yönelik hızla kötüleşen baskının en güncel örneklerinden biridir. İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediye Başkanı Ekrem İmamoğlu’nun 19 Mart’ta tutuklanmasından bu yana MFRR, en az 13 gazetecinin gözaltına alındığını belgelemiştir; bunlardan en az yedisi, toplantı ve gösteri yürüyüşleri yasasını ihlal etmekle suçlanmaktadır. En az 12 gazeteci polis şiddetine maruz kalmıştır. Ayrıca, Radyo ve Televizyon Üst Kurulu (RTÜK), çeşitli yayın kuruluşlarına çok sayıda para cezası vermiş, bir kanala geçici yayın yasağı getirmiş ve yalnızca resmi kaynaklara dayanmayan medya kuruluşlarının lisanslarını iptal etmekle tehdit etmiştir.

MFRR, Medin’in haksız yere tutuklanmasını en güçlü şekilde kınamakta, derhal serbest bırakılmasını ve ona yöneltilen suçlamalar ile tüm diğer gazetecilere yönelik suçlamaların düşürülmesini talep etmektedir. Ayrıca, yetkililere, yabancı muhabirler de dahil olmak üzere tüm yabancı gazetecilerin serbestçe çalışmasına ve Türkiye’deki gelişmeleri ifade hürriyeti kapsamında belgelemelerine izin verme çağrısında bulunuyoruz.

MFRR, Medin’in durumunu yakından izlemeye devam edecek ve basına yönelik baskılar sonucunda tutuklanan tüm gazeteciler için savunuculuk çalışmalarını sürdürecektir.

İmzalayanlar:

Avrupa Gazeteciler Federasyonu (EFJ)
Avrupa Basın ve Medya Özgürlüğü Merkezi (ECPMF)
Uluslararası Basın Enstitüsü (IPI)
Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)

Serbia: Spyware attacks on BIRN journalists further deepen press…

Serbia: Spyware attacks on BIRN journalists further deepen press freedom crisis

The partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today raise further alarm about the deepening press freedom crisis in Serbia in the wake of revelations showing evidence of the abuse of advanced Pegasus spyware to target two journalists from leading investigative media platform BIRN.

28 March 2025

Our organisations warn that the ultimately failed attempt to use military-grade surveillance technology to spy on journalists from the award-winning Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) represents another milestone in the deteriorating situation in Serbia, which requires immediate and strong interventions from the European Union.

The confirmation of spyware use was published by Amnesty International on March 27 and documented how its forensic testing had shown how the two female journalists – one of whom was Jelena Veljković – had both received messages on February 14 containing fake links, which if clicked would have infected the phone with Pegasus, an advanced spyware tool sold by Israeli cybersurveillance firm NSO Group.

The messages were sent hours apart in the messaging platform Viber from the same number registered with the state operator Telekom Srbija, and included a link which led to a fake version of the Serbian news portal N1. According to BIRN, after the identical messages were flagged as potential phishing attacks, they were forwarded to Amnesty, which carried out the tests. The human rights group said that there was a high probability that one or more actors from the Serbian state apparatus, or agents acting on their behalf, were involved in the attack.

Our organisations strongly condemn the latest example of spyware use to target investigative journalists in Serbia, which is prohibited as a criminal offense under the country’s Criminal Code. These attacks pose a serious threat to journalistic privacy, source protection and media freedom. Alarmingly, these are the seventh and eighth confirmed cases of spyware use against journalists in Serbia, posing a pattern of illegal yet unsanctioned spyware abuse.

The MFRR responded to previous revelations in December 2024 which showed how products made by Israeli company Cellebrite were being used by Serbian authorities to extract data from the phones of journalists and activists. Following Amnesty’s report, Cellebrite revoked its licence to the Serbian authorities. The revelations by Amnesty also documented how domestically-developed spyware, “NoviSpy”, had been developed to infect Android devices and capture confidential information and upload it to a government-controlled server.

The new revelations offer yet more damning evidence of the flagrant abuse of NSO’s technology by its clients. NSO claims its products are “sold exclusively to verified government users” such as state law enforcement and intelligence authorities, meaning its use in Serbia would be limited to state agencies.

Given the fresh abuses, our organisations firstly call on all Serbian intelligence authorities, police bodies, the Ministry of Interior, and the government to immediately provide transparent information about cyber-surveillance capabilities at their disposal and their use against journalists, as well as information about all ongoing contracts with private surveillance firms, any of which would violate the country’s laws.

Secondly, considering the growing body of evidence of Pegasus use by Serbian authorities, our groups demand that NSO Group launch an immediate internal review of any existing contracts with Serbian authorities, consider the repeated breaches of its terms of use, and swiftly revoke any existing contracts, as well as urgently review its safeguards procedures for abuse of its products by authoritarian states.

Thirdly, we urge the European Union to strongly condemn the targeting of journalists from BIRN Serbia, and to request urgent answers from Serbian government and law enforcement authorities about repeated abuses of spyware technology. More widely, the EU must take far stronger action to address spyware use against journalists and the rapidly deteriorating media freedom situation in Serbia, which has now reached its most worrying point in decades, in clear violation of fundamental democratic values required for EU accession.

Our organisations stand by BIRN Serbia, its journalists, and their important investigative work. We will continue to closely monitor, document and respond to all attacks on press freedom and journalists in Serbia, and will make spyware a central topic of investigation during the MFRR’s upcoming emergency visit to the country on April 7-9. During this trip we will gather information about other potentially unreported spyware attacks and work with partner organisations to investigate them.

Signed by:

International Press Institute (IPI)
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)

Serbia: MFRR media freedom mission to visit Belgrade and…

Serbia: MFRR media freedom mission to visit Belgrade and Novi Sad

The partners organisation of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) will conduct a mission to Serbia between 7-9 April to meet with journalists, media stakeholders and law enforcement authorities amidst a rapidly worsening media freedom crisis.

28 March 2025

During the three-day visit, the delegation will travel to Belgrade and Novi Sad to meet with journalists, editors, media outlets, journalist associations and civil society groups to gather information about the serious spike in pressure on independent journalism and media freedom by state authorities and government officials.

The mission has sought meetings with officials from the State Prosecutor’s Office and the Serbian Police, as well as representatives from the European Union office in Belgrade (EU), the Council of Europe (COE), and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation (OSCE).

The visit comes as independent media and those covering ongoing nationwide anti-corruption protests face an increasingly dangerous climate of attacks, harassment, death threats, smears from leading public officials, as well as legal threats, and ongoing regulatory and financial pressure.

Since the beginning of protests in November 2024 following the Novi Sad station tragedy, Mapping Media Freedom (MMF), the largest platform in Europe for documenting attacks on journalism and media, which is run by the MFRR, has recorded 66 violations of media freedom and different attacks on journalists.

The mission will be led by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and joined by representatives from ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the International Press Institute (IPI) and OBC Transeuropa (OBCT). It is being coordinated with support from the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS).

The partner organisations of the MFRR last jointly visited Serbia in 2023 to attend events marking the anniversary of the murder of Serbian editor Slavko Curuvija in 1999. An MFRR fact-finding mission to Serbia was also carried out in 2021.

A mission report with key findings and recommendations will be published by MFRR partners following the visit and provided to EU authorities.

The delegation will also be holding press conferences with both Belgrade and Novi Sad. For more information, or to schedule interviews, please email mfrr@ecpmf.eu

Recent MFRR advocacy on Serbia:

Serbia: One year of unpunished attacks on journalist Dinko Gruhonjić

Serbia: Urgent call stop targeting and intimidating journalists

Serbia: Urgent need for a swift and thorough investigation into invasive surveillance of journalists and sources

Serbia: Media independence is an exception rather than the rule

Serbia: Independent journalism faces its biggest crisis in years

Srbija: Misija za slobodu medija MFRR u poseti Beogradu i Novom Sadu

Partnerske organizacije platforme Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) će sprovesti misiju u Srbiji između 7. i 9. aprila tokom koje će se sastati sa novinarima, medijskim interesnim grupama i organima za sprovođenje zakona usred sve veće krize slobode medija.

Tokom trodnevne posete delegacija će boraviti u Beogradu i Novom Sadu gde će se sastati sa novinarima, urednicima, medijskim kućama, novinarskim udruženjima i organizacijama civilnog društva kako bi prikupila informacije o ozbiljnom porastu pritisaka na nezavisno novinarstvo i slobodu medija od strane državnih organa i službenika.

Misija je takođe tražila sastanak sa zvaničnicima Republičkog javnog tužilaštva i policije, kao i sa predstavnicima kancelarije Evropske unije u Beogradu (EU) i Organizacije za bezbednost i saradnju (OEBS).

Poseta dolazi u trenutku kada se nezavisni mediji i oni koji izveštavaju o aktuelnim protestima protiv korupcije širom zemlje suočavaju sa sve opasnijom atmosferom napada, uznemiravanja, pretnji smrću, kleveta koje dolaze od visokih državnih funkcionera, kao i pravnih pretnji i kontinuiranih regulatornih i finansijskih pritisaka.

Od početka protesta u novembru 2024. nakon tragedije na stanici u Novom Sadu, Mapping Media Freedom (MMF), najveća platforma u Evropi za dokumentovanje napada na novinare i medije, koju vodi MFRR, zabeležila je 66 slučajeva kršenja slobode medija i raznih napada na novinare.

Misiju će predvoditi Evropska federacija novinara (EFJ), uz učešće predstavnika ARTICLE 19 Europe, Evropskog centra za slobodu štampe i medija (ECPMF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), Međunarodnog instituta za štampu (IPI) i OBC Transeuropa (OBCT). Koordinira se uz podršku Nezavisnog udruženja novinara Srbije (NUNS).

Partnerske organizacije platforme MFRR poslednji put su zajedno posetile Srbiju 2023. godine kako bi prisustvovale događajima povodom obeležavanja godišnjice ubistva srpskog novinara Slavka Ćuruvije 1999. godine. Mreža MFRR je 2021. godine u Srbiji obavila misiju za procenu stanja slobode medija.

Nakon posete partneri MFRR-a objaviće izveštaj sa najvažnijim zaključcima i preporukama, koji će potom biti dostavljen zvaničnicima Evropske unije.

Delegacija će takođe održati konferencije za štampu u Beogradu i Novom Sadu. Za više informacija i zakazivanje intervjua pišite na e-mail adresu mfrr@ecpmf.eu

Nedavne akcije MFRR-a vezane za Srbiju:

Serbia: One year of unpunished attacks on journalist Dinko Gruhonjić

Serbia: Urgent call stop targeting and intimidating journalists

Serbia: Urgent need for a switf and thorough investigation into invasive surveillance of journalists and sources

Serbia: Media independence is an exception rather than the rule

Serbia: Independent journalism faces its biggest crisis in years