Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)

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Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)

CJFE monitors, defends and promotes free expression and access to information in Canada and around th

CJFE monitors, defends and promotes free expression and access to information in Canada and around the world.

07/31/2026

A new letter by IFEX and its members highlights growing concerns over freedom of expression in Tunisia, where journalists and human rights defenders are being prosecuted and imprisoned for their work. Many of these trials fail to meet international standards, while laws are being used to target those who criticize government policies, document human rights violations, and defend marginalized communities.

Journalists Zied El-Heni and Sonia Dahmani, along with human rights defenders Saadia Mosbah and Sihem Bensedrine, are among those who have received prison sentences in recent months.

These prosecutions are further concerning due to reports of harsh detention conditions, including the treatment of detainees during court transfers and while in custody.

CJFE joins IFEX and fellow international organizations in calling on Tunisian authorities to release those imprisoned in relation to their freedom of expression and human rights work, drop related charges, and end the misuse of laws to prosecute journalists and human rights defenders.

Read the full letter on IFEX to learn more about these cases and the collective call for action.

(Link in stories)

07/13/2026

Freedom of expression depends on people being able to speak out without fear of being silenced through abusive legal action.

That’s why CJFE is joining journalists, writers, academics, labour unions, legal experts, digital creators and civil society organizations in calling on Alberta to adopt anti-SLAPP legislation.

Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are used to intimidate and discourage reporting, advocacy and public participation on issues of public interest. Anti-SLAPP legislation gives courts the ability to dismiss these abusive lawsuits at an early stage, helping protect journalists and anyone who speaks out in the public interest.

Ontario, British Columbia and Manitoba have already enacted anti-SLAPP legislation. It’s time for Alberta to do the same.

Read the open letter and add your support at antislappalberta.ca

07/02/2026

This year’s municipal Code of Silence Award was presented to the Thames Valley District School Board after it refused to release information about its publicly funded art collection.

The request, made by CBC News through freedom of information legislation, was part of a broader public interest investigation into school board art holdings in Ontario where one board has a reported $10 million art collection and five boards including Thames Valley were placed under provincial supervision for financial management concerns. A second FOI request later revealed the collection’s total appraised value showing an average of approximately $360 per painting.

“It is shocking that the Thames Valley District School Board declined to provide information to the public about its modest art collection – likely consisting of items donated by the public and maintained at public expense,” said James L. Turk, director of the Centre for Free Expression .tmu.

Presented annually by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (), the Canadian Association of Journalists (), and the Centre for Free Expression (.tmu), the Code of Silence Awards recognize governments and publicly funded agencies that work to keep information hidden from the public despite access-to-information legislation.

Read the full announcement at the link in our bio.

*Nominations for the 2026 Code of Silence Awards will open in September 2026.

06/26/2026

Each year, the Code of Silence Awards recognize governments and publicly funded agencies that work to keep information hidden from the public despite access-to-information legislation. Presented by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (), the Canadian Association of Journalists (), and the Centre for Free Expression, the awards highlight secrecy that undermines transparency and accountability. 
This year’s federal Code of Silence Award was presented to the Government of Canada after more than 35% of access to information requests missed legislated deadlines in 2024–25—the worst on-time performance ever recorded. 
The provincial Code of Silence Award was presented to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government after Alberta’s information and privacy commissioner found the province had breached its own freedom of information laws through systemic non-compliance with access-to-information requirements.

The Municipal winner will be announced next week.

Read the full announcements at the link in our bio.

05/07/2026

A court ruling in the case of Tunisian journalist Zied El-Heni is expected this Thursday, May 7.

El-Heni was detained on April 24, 2026, after criticizing a court ruling sentencing fellow journalist Ghassen Ben Khelifa in a social media post, and is now facing charges under laws used to restrict online expression, raising concerns about press freedom and due process.

His daughter has publicly denounced his detention and the conditions of his case.

CJFE is closely following developments.

05/03/2026

The latest 2026 Reporters Without Borders paints a troubling global picture. For the first time in the Index’s history, more than half of the world’s countries now fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories for press freedom.

The report points to rising censorship, surveillance, political hostility, violence against journalists, and the growing criminalisation of journalism worldwide.

Canada ranked 21st this year, while the United States dropped seven places to 64th.

Today is World Press Freedom Day, a reminder that a free and independent press is essential to democracy and the public’s right to know.

Press freedom is not just about journalists. It is about protecting the public’s right to access information, question power, and participate in an informed society.

05/01/2026

New joint statement from and on the recent changes to Ontario’s freedom of information laws.

Access to information is essential for accountability, transparency, and the public’s right to know.

CJFE and CAJ are reviewing options to challenge the legality of the Ontario government’s actions.

Read the full statement at the link in bio.

04/07/2026

After nearly a decade of legal battles, the Philippine Supreme Court has officially closed the case against Rappler, an independent digital newsroom known for its investigative reporting and for holding power to account.

What started in 2018 as a shutdown order has ended in a decisive victory, not just for Rappler and its co-founder and CEO Maria Ressa, but for press freedom in the Philippines.

This case became a measure of how far power can go to challenge the press, and how firmly it can be resisted. It’s a reminder that attempts to silence the press don’t just target one newsroom, they test the strength of democracy itself.

03/30/2026

Three journalists were killed over the weekend in southern Lebanon while covering the war.

Ali Shoeib, Fatima Ftouni and cameraman Mohammad Ftouni, from the media outlets Al-Manar and Al-Mayadeen.

They were traveling together near Jezzine when their car was struck.

The Israeli military said it targeted Shoeib, alleging ties to Hezbollah without providing evidence.
Lebanese officials and rights groups have condemned the strike, raising concerns about the targeting of journalists.

Lebanon’s president called it a “blatant crime” and the government plans to take the case to the U.N. Security Council.

Their deaths highlight the dangers faced by those reporting from the frontlines.

03/12/2026

CJFE condemns the public intimidation of journalist Rachel Gilmore .gilmore following her reporting on white nationalist activity in a Montreal gym.

Threatening, surveilling, or harassing journalists for reporting in the public interest is an attack on press freedom, on democracy, and on the public’s right to know. CJFE stands in solidarity with Gilmore and calls on authorities to act.

Address

37 Front Street E #200
Toronto, ON
M5E1B3

Telephone

+14169231771

Website

http://www.cjfe.org/

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