Authorities in Hungary should immediately halt the investigation into two journalists from independent media outlets Magyar Hang and Átlátszo on suspicion of “illicit acquisition of data” and recognize their reporting was done in the public interest.

The pair were summoned separately on October 22 and 26, respectively, over the publication in both of their media outlets in May 2020 of video footage and images captured by a cameraman working with Átlátszo. The arial shots showed armoured military vehicles parked at the lakeside estate of Lőrinc Mészáros, a billionaire businessman and ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Gulyás and Horn were questioned as witnesses in a criminal investigation into the suspected “illicit acquisition of data”, a crime which carries a maximum prison sentence of three years under Hungarian law. A company owned by Mészáros filed the criminal complaint.

The MFRR calls on the investigation to be dropped immediately to ensure journalists are free to carry out their work

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), is highly concerned by the arrest of four journalists during a raid on the offices of the pro-Kurdish news agency Mezopotamya Ajansı (MA) in the Turkish province of Van. This was in response to their role in reporting on allegations that Turkish soldiers tortured two civilians, Osman Şiban and Servet Turgut, and threw them out of a helicopter. Turgut later died in hospital.

The arrest and detention of journalists and media workers based on their reporting on a matter that is so evidently of public interest violate not only the rights to liberty and freedom of expression of the reporters themselves and also the right to information of the general public. Accordingly, ECPMF calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Adnan Bilen, Cemil Uğur, Şehriban Abi and Nazan Sala. The authorities’ assertion that they are not journalists because they do not have a press card issued by the Presidency is not valid. We recall that holding a press card or official authorisation is not compulsory for the exercise of the profession of journalism. We also demand that all journalistic materials and equipment are returned to the journalists and the authorities commit to deleting all copies of data they have extracted from these devices.

In 2014, Mr Taylor blew the whistle on a $275 million international network of bribes paid by his former employer, the oil platform company SBM Offshore, to secure oil contracts around the world. The evidence he provided to the UK Serious Fraud Office, and investigators in Brazil and the Netherlands as well as the FBI and the Department of Justice in the United States, helped ensure SBM Offshore was fined over $800 million.

As result of his whistleblowing, the Monegasque authorities have continued for six years to pursue a criminal complaint filed in 2014 against Jonathan Taylor by SBM Offshore accusing him of bribery and corruption. Despite the case being rejected by a Monegasque court two years ago it was resurrected, and earlier this year, Monaco requested an Interpol Red Notice which resulted in Jonathan Taylor’s arrest at Dubrovnik Airport on 31 July 2020 just as he arrived for a short holiday with his family.  Released on bail five days later, Mr. Taylor has now spent over 80 days in limbo unable to leave the country, forced to fight for his freedom through the Croatian legal system.  Jonathan Taylor’s life is on hold, and his ability to work and provide for his family is in jeopardy.

We continue to call on the Dubrovnik court to ensure that Jonathan Taylor and his family are free to return home. However, this is not enough; we demand that SBM Offshore officially drop their criminal complaint against Jonathan Taylor and for the Monaco authorities to formally withdraw their extradition request and all charges against him.

Photo Credit: Swedish Journalists’ Union

Journalist Henrik Evertsson and camera operator Linus Andersson have produced a new documentary series entitled “Estonia: The Discovery that Changes Everything”, which investigates the sinking of the cruise ferry the “MS Estonia” en route from Tallinn to Stockholm in September 1994. It is known as one of Europe’s greatest maritime disasters, killing 852 people. Survivors had long been calling for further investigation.

Evertsson and Andersson are charged with “violating a burial site” and are facing a two-year prison sentence. The trial is due to begin in Gothenburg in January. The Swedish authorities also tried to confiscate the film.

The reason for the prosecution is the criminalisation after the tragedy of diving and other underwater activities in and around Estonia through the so-called Estonia Act. The wreck is on international waters and it is unclear whether the Estonia Act is compatible with international law.

Jovo Martinovic’s conviction is a gross injustice, following almost five years of judicial persecution merely for doing his job. Beyond the violation of Martinovic’s human rights, his prosecution and conviction moreover contribute to a chilling effect on media freedom in Montenegro and raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of the rule of law in the country, a key condition for accession to the European Union. Questions remain as to the court’s readiness to take into consideration evidence from the defence or establish an understanding of the journalistic practices that readily explain Martinovic’s actions.

In April 2020, together with other civil society organisations, the ECPMF and several other MFRR partners provided recommendations for safeguarding media freedom and pluralism through the European Rule of Law Mechanism, including specific recommendations for the Annual Rule of Law Report. Among other things, we underlined the importance of the Report covering the wide range of challenges faced by journalists and the media sector. This includes assessments of transparency of ownership and government interference; whether the environment is conducive to an independent and pluralistic media landscape, online and offline; and, the framework for the protection of journalists and media workers.

ECPMF condemns the insults faced by Italian journalist Nello Scavo as he left the court in Valletta. Scavo was testifying in the criminal case against Neville Gafà, who had threatened him online. Upon leaving the hearing, Scavo and Maltese blogger Manuel Delia were insulted with vulgar epithets shouted in Italian by a crowd of people who had amassed in apparent support of Gafà.

Photo: Alessandra Dee Crespo for Repubblika

MFRR partners and 11 press freedom organisations express our grave concern over the barrage of vexatious defamation lawsuits targeting journalists working for the investigative news website Necenzurirano in Slovenia over the last two months.

Since August journalists Primož Cirman, Vesna Vukovic and Tomaž Modic have each had 13 different criminal lawsuits lodged against them by Rok Snežić, a tax expert and unofficial financial advisor to Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, bringing the total so far to 39.

The lawsuits target the journalists’ joint reporting over the last three years on Snežić’s business dealings and alleged involvement in an illegal loan to Janša’s ruling SDS party. The reporting was published in siol.net and then necenzurirano.si, the portal the three journalists founded in January 2020.

The International Press Institute (IPI) expressed serious concern over reports that the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested its embassies in EU countries to monitor Hungarian journalists and media workers and deliver information to the Hungarian government.