European Parliament passes a resolution on protection of journalists

The European Parliament approved a non-legislative resolution on the protection of investigative journalists in Europe on Thursday. The measure should protect them from facing criminal prosecution with the aim of censoring their work. This is a response to the murders of Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová. The resolution is based on the findings of the special delegation of six MEPs who paid a working visit to Slovakia on March 8-9. MEPs also called upon the Slovak authorities to conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the murder of the journalist and his fiancée. They recommended that Europol be involved in conducting a joint investigation team which should have unrestricted access to the investigation file. The resolution encompasses a mention that the process of naming the top prosecutors in Slovakia has been politicised. The European Commission should prepare a directive on whistleblowers in the EU and more rigorous monitoring of the plurality of media owners. MEPs also approved a proposal that the EP internship for journalists will carry Ján Kuciak's name.