Journalism and Media Cases

Journalism plays a vital role in the functioning of a good society, by holding power to account, conveying important information, and facilitating public debate. However, journalists and the media are under serious pressure in many European countries. Threats include violence and intimidation of journalists, government control of state media, and the use of defamation law to allow powerful groups to silence critical voices. 

Even when a serious problem is highlighted by a judgment from the European Court of Human Rights, governments can fail to address it. EIN supports the implementation of these judgments in order to protect individual journalists and with the aim that the media as a whole should be free to play its crucial role in society. 

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Persecution of journalism: the case of Khadija Ismayilova
Persecution of journalism: the case of Khadija Ismayilova

Khadija Ismayilova is a well-known Azerbaijani investigative journalist, whose work has been highly critical of the government. Due to her activities, Ms Ismayilova has been the victim of harassment, threats, a smear campaign and an unjustified prosecution. These events led to a series of judgments in her favour at the European Court of Human Rights - which remain unimplemented.

Attack on freedom of speech – the case of Ahmet Sik
Attack on freedom of speech – the case of Ahmet Sik

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Turkey has more journalists in prison than any other country in the world.  Ahmet Şık is a prominent Turkish investigative journalist, who was arrested and detained for his journalism in 2011.

Journalism under threat – the case of Nedim Sener
Journalism under threat – the case of Nedim Sener

Serious and continuing problems with freedom of expression in Turkey have been revealed by the Court’s judgments since 1998. The case of Nedim Şener is one example. He was arrested and detained for over a year, as a result of his work as an investigative journalist.

Government control of public media in Moldova
Government control of public media in Moldova

In 2009 the European Court of Human Rights held that the Moldovan government had exercised political control over the main broadcaster in the country, the public media company. The government has not submitted public documents on the implementation of the case since 2011.

Georgiy Gongadze and freedom of expression in Ukraine
Georgiy Gongadze and freedom of expression in Ukraine

Georgiy Gongadze—a journalist and longtime critic of human rights practices in Ukraine—was kidnapped and brutally murdered in 2000. The European Court of Human Rights found that the authorities had failed to take seriously the numerous threats that Georgiy had encountered in the run up to his death. The case remains unimplemented, because journalists in Ukraine continue to be threatened and assaulted on a regular basis - and the Gongadze case has never been properly investigated. EIN member the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union advocates for the full implementation of the case, through the establishment of proper protections of all journalists.