“A free press is the heartbeat of democracy” and “journalists shine a light on injustice and hold those in power accountable. Yet across the world, journalists continue to be killed, tortured, harassed, detained and forced into exile”. This has been written in a statement of the EU Commission after the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, celebrated on 2nd November. “The International Federation of Journalists reported how fatal the pursuit of truth has been in many parts of the world in 2025. International humanitarian law is clear: journalists are civilians and must be protected at all times”. The statement issued in Brussels today adds: “The EU supports independent journalism worldwide and provides protection to those at risk. We also work to address the growing threats in the digital sphere, where journalists increasingly face coordinated harassment, unlawful surveillance, and campaigns designed to discredit or intimidate them.”. It reports that “in the EU, fostering media pluralism and media freedom has been at the heart of the EU efforts to strengthen democracy and the rule of law. The European Media Freedom Act has put in place strong safeguards for media and journalists, ensuring they can carry out their work, without undue pressure. The European Commission continues to monitor developments related to media freedom and pluralism, including as regards the safety and protection of journalists in all EU Member States”.