Dear Colleagues

I have ended hunger strike on the 6th day yesterday. I am fine, but the pressures on our members continue. Our struggle at the Anatolian News Agency will increase in the next few days. The government will never succeed in stopping us campaigning for press freedom.

Best wishes

Ercan Ipekci

Greece: IFJ Backs Striking Journalists’ Decision to Print Paper after Months of Unpaid Wages

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its European group, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have backed striking journalists from the Greek daily Eleftherotypia who have published their own newspaper after going months without pay from their employer.

‘It is a great victory for these journalists who saw their rights violated for months,❠said EFJ President Arne Konig’. ‘We give thumbs up to their initiative and we congratulate the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers for their support.

On 15 February the journalists, who have been on strike since December 2011, published their own newspaper, entitled ‘ERGAZOMENOI’ – Workers at Eleftherotypia!.

The first issue was published with the financial support of the EFJ affiliate, the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers. The paper sold out in all kiosks all over Greece and, according to national newspaper circulation data, it surpassed all other newspaper sales in the country. Their employer, who has applied for bankruptcy under Greek law, stopped paying their salaries in August 2011. He still owes nearly 7 million euro in unpaid salaries.

IFJ President Jim Boumelha pledged his support for the journalists: ‘This just goes to show that despite the huge challenges facing our colleagues in Greece, journalists still have the drive and determination to stand up for their working rights and to stand up for quality journalism. I congratulate these journalists, their colleagues on the newspaper and their union for taking such clear and decisive action and I pledge support from the IFJ’s 180 journalists unions worldwide.’

By publishing and selling their own newspaper, staff of the daily will be able to compensate for the financial loss of the strike and lack of payment. However, mobilisations and legal action against the rogue employer continue.

During the recent ELEFTHEROTYPIA media workers assembly is was decided by a vote to publish a second issue of the paper on Saturday 26th February.

For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 07
The IFJ represents more than 600.000 journalists in 134 countries

Cold winter, hot atmosphere in front of the Budapest Opera House…(some say nearly 100 thousand – but is impossible to guess. a lot we were, anyway)

the best
Judit
(received via freepress@cpbf.org.uk)

Independent journalism in Turkey cannot survive unless action is taken to halt the use of anti-terror laws to silence journalists. That’s the message from the President of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) after the latest trials of some of the dozens of journalists currently behind bars in Turkey.

After attending the trial in Istanbul on Monday 26 December of ten journalists accused of terrorism charges, Arne König called for action to guarantee press freedom in the country: “Now is the time for these arrests and prosecutions to stop. It is as if Turkey has become a prison for journalists.

“There is currently no distinction being made between terrorism and journalism. The authorities must recognise that journalists have a right to their independence.

“The authorities seem to be applying such a wide blanket definition of terrorism that anybody who writes could find themselves under suspicion. That is not an environment in which the media will feel free to report independently or journalists feel able to do their jobs.”

The EFJ has described a recent speech by the Turkish Minister of Interior, İdris Naim Şahin, as “extremely worrying”. Speaking on 26 December 2011 in Ankara he said: “Terror is not only consisting of armed terrorist attacks. There is another dimension to this. There is psychological terror.” The minister went on to highlight a number of areas in which he believed support can be given to terrorism, including through art, poetry, journalism and academia.

Over 90 journalists are currently in jail awaiting trial, most of the time under the pretext of allegations of terrorist activities.

Ercan Iprekci, President of the Türkiye Gazeteciler Sendikası (Journalists’ Union of Turkey), and a member of the Steering Committee of the European Federation of Journalists, said: “We face a terrible situation in Turkey. We cannot talk about press freedom and freedom of expression. With the latest arrests, the number of journalists in jails has increased to 95.

“Under these circumstances, we worry about the statements made by members of Turkish government. They still deny the targeting of journalists and they still seek to apply terror laws to journalistic activities. The official statements made by ministers destroy our hopes of any intention to amend the Penal Code and Anti-terror Law.

“We call on the Turkish Parliament to realise the seriousness of the situation and take all necessary steps to change the laws. We are ready to make every contribution during the legislative process.”

Last month the EFJ led an international mission, in cooperation with other international press freedom groups, with the aim of showing support for the immediate release of all Turkish journalists who appear to have been jailed because of their work.

That mission took place in November to coincide with the trials of some of the journalists currently behind bars. Those cases were adjourned until 26 December, and the EFJ President was in Istanbul this week to witness the continuation of the trials.

Reports suggest that thousands of journalists are currently under investigation. Arne König commented: “The European Federation of Journalists will continue to show solidarity with our colleagues who are behind bars simply because they are doing their jobs as journalists. We have a duty to ensure that the world is aware of what is happening in Turkey.”

“2012 IS HERE.Vanunu still not FREE,from 1986-2012,without freedom of speech and freedom to leave israel.All the world watching but no one dare to act for my release,for the end of my suffering in is real prison.FREEDOM NOW!!!!2012.”

More RE: The ‘Serial Hypocrisy’ of The Media vis-a-vis Ron Paul and Mordechai Vanunu @
http://wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2248&Itemid=254

Dear Barry.

Thank you for your Birthday greeting,
You are here invited to my first Birthday in Freedom Now,
Oct’10/2011.
The latest news,the Gov’ lawyers asking the court to give them more time to answer my appeal to cancel my israel citizenship,
They want time until Nov’13 th’.My Lawyer Feldman refuse to give them more time,But the court will give them more time.
So we will hear from the court on Nov’ 13 th’,or before.
VMJC

He is staying busy on his You Tube Channel uploading video interviews he has given beginning in 2004.

He renamed what became the beginning of a series of interviews between us that culminated in my third book, “BEYOND NUCLEAR: Mordechai Vanunu’s FREEDOM of SPEECH Trial and My Life as a Muckraker” Vanunu Speaking to Florida US, June 2005…

Vanunu Waits and I Remember @
http://www.wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2172&Itemid=250

http://myfellowamerican.us