ARTICLE 19 Europe

Our @antanina-maslyka.bsky.social & Joanna Szymańska are attending the #Helsinki+50 Conference and join Sviatlana #Tsikhanouskaya in urging intl community to take decisive action for the unconditional release of all political prisoners in #Belarus. #StandWithBelarus

#OSCE25FI

Belarus: Four years of arbitrary detention – crackdown on Viasna must end - ARTICLE 19 The regime must release all members of Human Rights Center 'Viasna', and other human rights defenders imprisoned in Belarus.

🔴The Lukashenko regime must immediately and unconditionally release all members of Human Rights Center
#Viasna, as well as all other #HumanRights defenders arbitrarily detained in #Belarus.

#FreeViasna #FreeBelarus #StandWithBelarus

joint statement: www.article19.org/resources/be...

💔 Today marks 4 years since #HRDs Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic & Uladzimir Labkovich were arrested in #Belarus — 4 years of injustice and separation from loved ones.

They're behind bars not because they did wrong — but because they did what’s right.

🔗 freeviasna.org

Read European Journalism now! — The European Correspondent The European Correspondent is the place where you read about the climate crisis, migration, digitisation and much more – with an European angle!

Protesting has become harder in Europe – legally & socially. Our @antanina-maslyka.bsky.social speaks to the @eurcorrespond.bsky.social about the #RightToProtest – struggles, chances + key role of civil resistance incl on climate, pro-Palestine & LGBTQ.

www.europeancorrespondent.com/article?s=Eu...

ARTICLE 19 rejects contract as fraudulent - ARTICLE 19 Today Russian Security Forces (FSB) raided a cultural centre in Syktyvkar, northern Russia, because of alleged ties with ARTICLE 19, which is designated an ‘undesirable’ organisation in Russia.  Russi...

Today FSB raided a cultural centre in northern Russia, because of alleged ties with ARTICLE 19, which is designated an ‘undesirable’ organisation in Russia.

We confirm that the documents and contracts shared online are fake.

www.article19.org/resources/ar...

🌟 Check it out - our 2024 Annual Report is here!

We discuss key priorities, and longstanding and emerging challenges to civic space in the region: information integrity, digital authoritarianism, threats to journos and activists, #SLAPPs, right to protest.

www.article19.nl/wp-content/u...

Poland: Anti-SLAPP draft law is a positive step but key improvements essential - ARTICLE 19 Only a comprehensive reform – encompassing both civil and criminal law – can effectively counter the use of SLAPPs in Poland.

Our analysis of Poland’s draft anti-SLAPP law is out. 🇵🇱

It includes vital mechanisms. But vague wording could make these protections ineffective in practice.

To truly shield those exposing abuse of power, the law must be stronger and decriminalise defamation. 

www.article19.org/resources/po...

Our Joanna Szymańska will join a panel 'Democratic Backsliding & Freedom of Expression' and discuss the erosion of civic space as well as mounting threats to artistic freedom in #Poland over the past decade. #FoE #ArtisticExpression
📅 30.06
🕛 12:00 CET
ungeneva-vc.webex.com/wbxmjs/joins...

On 23 June, 🇹🇷Türkiye’s Radio and Television Supreme Council warned Fatih Altaylı that his YouTube channel will be closed down if he doesn’t apply for a broadcasting license within 72 hours, while Altaylı remains in pre-trial detention. 3/3

Altaylı is accused of criminal threat, which does not warrant pre-trial detention. Yet, another provision increasing sentences for offenses involving physical acts against the president was applied to his case, raising the minimum sentence to 5 years & enabling his detention. 2/3 #fatihaltaylı

Türkiye: Release journalist Fatih Altaylı - ARTICLE 19 Turkish prominent journalist Fatih Altaylı was arrested hours after a segment of his YouTube broadcast went viral on social media.

🇹🇷 #Türkiye: Prominent journo Fatih Altaylı was arrested on 21 June for threatening the Turkish president due to comments he made on his YT channel about assassinations of Ottoman emperors by the people. @article19.bsky.social & 9 other orgs call for his release. 🧵

www.article19.org/resources/tu...

Belarus: Siarhei Tsikhanouski released after five years – now free them all - ARTICLE 19 The unexpected release of prominent activist Siarhei Tsikhanouski reminds us that we must keep fighting for the rights of people in Belarus.

The release of Siarhei #Tsikhanouski & 13 others shows that we need to keep fighting for #Belarus. While we welcome their freedom, over 1000 remain behind bars in inhuman conditions for speaking out.

All political prisoners must be freed. #StandWithBelarus

www.article19.org/resources/be...

🇬🇪Journalists in #Georgia face harassment, attacks, and censorship. The ruling Georgian Dream party is shrinking civic space and curbing #MediaFreedom. The 🇪🇺EU must step up pressure – now.

www.article19.org/resources/ge...

🇭🇷 #Croatia: We acknowledge steps by the govt to improve #mediafreedom, but major challenges persist – including #SLAPPs, media capture, economic precarity & political pressure. #MFRR

🔖 New report:
www.article19.org/resources/cr...

Kyrgyzstan detains eight media workers in widening crackdown National security authorities in Kyrgyzstan have detained eight current and former employees of independent media outlet Kloop, their lawyers said, accusing them of inciting unrest amid a growing crackdown on media in the Central Asian country.

🇰🇬 #Kyrgyzstan: National security authorities have detained eight current and former employees (including investigative journos) of independent media outlet #Kloop
The detention comes amid growing crackdown on human rights in #Kyrgyzstan.

Journos must be released!

www.reuters.com/business/med...

🇦🇱#Albania: We raise the alarm over multiple incidents of intimidation and obstruction targeting journalists covering the parliamentary elections. These attacks on #MediaFreedom & safety of journalists (#SoJ) must be swiftly and thoroughly investigated.

www.article19.org/resources/al...

💡Tune in now!

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) press conference highlights key takeaways from the #MediaFreedom mission in #Zagreb #Croatia 🇭🇷 #SLAPPs #SoJ #EMFA

📺 www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kN1...

Today is the Intl Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in #Belarus

Despite ongoing repression, Belarusians continue to resist and inspire us. We'll keep demanding the unconditional release of all political prisoners & an end to the crackdown on rights.

www.article19.org/resources/be...

🇭🇷 #Croatia #PressFreedom #Mission
We are in #Zagreb to engage with public authorities and media on key recommendations from the #MFRR report + stress the urgent need to implement the EU🇪🇺 Anti-#SLAPP Directive + ensure effective application of the #EMFA

www.article19.org/resources/cr...

#LMF2025

Our @antanina-maslyka.bsky.social is at Lviv Media Forum to discuss challenges for resilient media & indep journalism in the CEE region.

Amid Russia’s full-scale invasion, 🇺🇦Ukrainian journalists have shown immense courage + professionalism reporting on the war’s atrocities.

➡️ lvivmediaforum.com

Türkiye: Big Tech must defend users’ right to freedom of expression - ARTICLE 19 Meta, TikTok, YouTube and X must uphold users' right to freedom of expression and resist state censorship in Türkiye.

🇹🇷Together with Human Rights Watch and İFÖD, we wrote to Big Tech, urging them to resist increasing state censorship.

To Meta, TikTok, YouTube and X: Protect freedom of expression in Türkiye!

www.article19.org/resources/tu...

Türkiye: Big tech should protect free speech and resist state censorship - ARTICLE 19 Social media platforms should disclose all government requests to restrict accounts or content and be transparent about informal government pressure.

We call for X to immediately restore access to İmamoğlu’s account, and to resist complying with blocking orders that restrict access to protected expression- considering in particular that political speech enjoys the highest level of protection. 4/4
www.article19.org/resources/tu...

İmamoğlu's account is among hundreds of accounts - incl those of journalists, CSOs, women’s collectives and ordinary citizens - that have been blocked on X due to government orders since the Mayor’s arrest on 19 March. 3/4

Global Government Affairs on X: "We object to multiple court orders from the Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority to block over 700 accounts of news organizations, journalists, political figures, students, and others within Türkiye. Providing a platform committed to defending everyone’s" / X We object to multiple court orders from the Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority to block over 700 accounts of news organizations, journalists, political figures, students, and others within Türkiye. Providing a platform committed to defending everyone’s

The blocking of the account with 9,7 million followers is alarming, particularly given X's prior affirmations of its commitment to free speech and its stated refusal to comply with government blocking orders. 2/4
x.com/GlobalAffair...

🇹🇷On the morning of 8 May, X blocked access in #Türkiye to the account of Istanbul Mayor and 2028 main opposition presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu whose arrest and detention sparked nationwide protests and a sweeping new wave of internet censorship. 🧵⬇️ 1/4

Global Government Affairs on X: "We object to multiple court orders from the Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority to block over 700 accounts of news organizations, journalists, political figures, students, and others within Türkiye. Providing a platform committed to defending everyone’s" / X We object to multiple court orders from the Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority to block over 700 accounts of news organizations, journalists, political figures, students, and others within Türkiye. Providing a platform committed to defending everyone’s

The blocking of the account with 9,7 million followers is alarming, particularly given X's prior affirmations of its commitment to free speech and its stated refusal to comply with government blocking orders. 2/4
x.com/GlobalAffair...

⚡Free them all!
Over 40 journalists are behind bars in #Belarus – the worst place in Europe for #PressFreedom

Since 2020, more than 500 have been detained, harassed, silenced as a reprisal for their vital work. On #WorldPressFreedomDay, we say: enough.
#StandWithBelarus #JournalismIsNotACrime

#MediaFreedom #Serbia 🇷🇸 #Report 📕

Censorship, political pressure, media capture, smear campaigns, #SLAPPs & daily threats to journalists are rampant.

Our solidarity mission confirms: this is a media emergency.

www.article19.org/resources/se...

The Viktoriia Project, set up by journalists & news outlets,
confirms Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, whose death was announced in 2024 after a year in detention, endured horrific torture.

The international community must speak out.

forbiddenstories.org/russia-detai...