International Federation of Journalists suspends Russia’s membership

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), a global body representing as many as 600,000 media professionals around the world, on February 22 announced that it had suspended the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) from the organization.

The IFJ’s move came in response to the RUJ’s recent decision to expand its work to the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, which it said had contravened the organization’s principles, according to a statement published on the IFJ website, The Moscow Times reports.  

“The IFJ is an organization built on international solidarity, on principles of cooperation between member unions and respect for the rights of all journalists,” IFJ President Dominique Pradalié said.

“The Russian Union of Journalists' actions … have clearly shattered this solidarity and sown divisions among sister unions,” Pradalié added. 

The IFJ president also noted that the organization would be looking to “find ways” to support Russian independent journalists both inside and outside the country and to “continue to deliver solidarity to our two Ukrainian affiliates.” 

The IFJ’s announcement comes weeks after Finnish, Norwegian, Danish and Icelandic journalist unions exited the global body citing its perceived inaction over the RUJ’s activities on occupied Ukrainian territory. 

The suspension of Russia’s membership was also confirmed by the Russian Union’s Chairman Vladimir Solovyev, who told Russia’s state-run TASS news agency that the IFJ had “sent me a letter informing me that the membership of the Russian Union of Journalists has been suspended."