German politicians of all stripes are suddenly calling for the abolition of a seldom-used provision in Germany’s Criminal Code that punishes insulting foreign heads of state with up to five years in prison. That’s welcome news for press freedom and freedom of expression. The provision in question, Art. 103, is a relic of the [...]
Pressure on Turkey’s media has become so intense that even online outlets, regarded by many observers as the last remaining space for free expression, now face an existential threat. In its 2015 special report on Turkey, “Democracy at Risk”, the International Press Institute (IPI) observed that “given the amount of pressure brought to bear [...]
On the eve of a trial scheduled to start on March 25, 2016, a coalition of leading international free expression and press freedom groups condemns the criminal case targeting Cumhuriyet journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, and calls on authorities in Turkey to drop all charges against them. Dündar, editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet, and Gül, [...]
Countries across the Middle East must do more to respect press freedom and free expression in both law and practice, leading international journalists gathered in Qatar for the International Press Institute (IPI)’s World Congress said today. IPI members, meeting at their 65th Annual General Assembly in Doha, unanimously adopted four resolutions urging governments in [...]
Calling on OSCE member states to fully support the OSCE Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media
Calling on Turkish authorities to respect press freedom and free expression, and end their crackdown on independent media and dissenting voices
“Ten years ago, the Russian segment of the World Wide Web, ru.net, was the most free place in the world for independent journalism and social media,” Galina Timchenko, editor-in-chief of Riga-based Russian-language online newspaper Meduza, said during a panel titled “Digital Journalism – Is the Internet Really a Safer Place?” at the International Press [...]
The International Press Institute (IPI) today demanded an explanation from Turkish authorities after prominent Syrian journalist and human rights defender Mazen Darwish reported that he was stopped at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, struck and prevented from travelling to Doha, where he was to speak at IPI’s World Congress. Darwish said that immigration agents in Turkey [...]
Ruşen Çakır, founder of Turkey’s Medyascope.tv, delivered the following remarks at a gala dinner and awards ceremony at the International Press Institute (IPI)’s 2016 World Congress in Doha, Qatar on March 19, 2016. In my country, Turkey, the words “media” and “journalism” have immediate negative connotations: fired, prosecuted and imprisoned journalists; government-seized newspapers and [...]
Last week, Spain’s port city Valencia was home to the Internet Freedom Festival (IFF), an annual event bringing together activists, journalists and members of the technology community to discuss means and collaboration in fighting censorship and surveillance. The Festival, in accordance with its title “Joining Forces to Fight Censorship and Surveillance”, took place in [...]