Fact Finding Mission

Fact Finding Missions are sent to troubled areas to investigate complicated cases. Their task is to discover facts in an impartial, objective and comprehensive manner.

Fact Finding Missions are an important tool to gather relevant information and bring this to the attention of the public and they are a signal of our concern about a potentially explosive situation. This tool is used pragmatically and decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

Turkey

TURKEY’S JOURNALISTS IN THE DOCK

Mission Report
The Judicial Silencing of the Fourth Estate underscores the depth of Turkey’s now three-year-crackdown on the media despite Turkish government attempts to distract from it. It calls on Turkey to release all jailed journalists, stop the arbitrary persecution of the press, revise anti-terror and defamation laws, and end political interference in the judiciary.more information

Download Report

Czech Republic

Fact finding mission to Czech Republic

Mission report
The mission, which was conducted between 7.and 8. October 2019, identified six elements that if changed and improved, would have positive impacts to press and media freedom in the country.more information

Italy

So much Mafia, so little news

Mission report Italy
The Mafia is imposing its vow of silence on the news media. This is was the finding behind the 24 interviews conducted by the fact-finding team in December 2018 with mafia experts, prosecutors, politicians and journalists in Rome.more information

Bulgaria

Media ownership in a “captured state”

Fact Finding Mission
Bulgaria has built up a highly worrisome record of freedom of speech and media violations. The Balkan country fails to meet European standards regarding the European Charter on Freedom of the Press.more information

A toxic environment for free press?

Press Release
In between all the international applause for the outgoing Bulgarian presidency of the Council of the European Union, we urge the EU institutions to press Bulgaria to uphold the rule of law. Bulgarian authorities must restore freedom of expression and a free press.
more information

Croatia

The Baltics | Estonia & Lithuania

Germany

Concept of the enemy

Fact Finding Mission
ECPMF-fact finding mission in Germany investigating attacks on journalists during right-wing populist events shows an increasing danger.more information

Lying Press II

Fact Finding Mission
Since the end of 2015 the number of politically-motivated attacks on journalists in Germany has reduced. Unfortunately that does not mean that we can sound the all-clear. In 2016 too 19 journalists were violently attacked.more information