Journalists from Scandinavia left the IFZ because of Russia

Unions of journalists in Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland decided to leave the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), accusing its leadership of corruption. This is reported by Reuters. Among the reasons for their decision, journalists from Scandinavian countries cited the fact that the international federation did not suspend the membership of the Union of Journalists of Russia due to the activities of employees of the Russian state media in the territories of Ukraine occupied by the Russian army.

Unions of journalists of four countries stated that the leadership of the IFJ had been using “corruption mechanisms” for a long time, and also drew attention to the fact that the Union of Journalists of Russia, in particular, created its own branches in the Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine, the annexation of which was announced by Moscow. “They were able to do it calmly, and the international federation did not exclude the Russian Union,” said the head of the Union of Journalists of Finland, Hanne Aho.

The IFJ denied the corruption charges. The organization also stated that its executive committee has begun the formal process of suspension and subsequent termination of membership of the Union of Journalists of Russia. The statements of the Scandinavian unions in the IFJ were called “false and slanderous”.

The International Federation of Journalists, headquartered in Brussels, is the world’s largest organization of professional media workers.

A number of Russian mass media reported on Tuesday the expulsion of the Union of Journalists of Russia from the MFJ. The head of the Union of Journalists of Russia, Vladimir Soloviev, said that this is not the case.