At a lecture at the Ural Federal University in Yekaterinburg, the head of the Union of Journalists of Russia (UJR), Vladimir Solovyov, said that the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) could suspend the UJR’s membership in this organization in February.
He said: “They cannot terminate our membership. Only the Congress can do this, and the Congress will take place in 2026 – before it [надо] live. However, on the 22nd [февраля] there will be a meeting of the executive committee at which they can freeze our membership.”
Earlier it was reported that the IFJ initiated the exclusion of the Union of Journalists of Russia from its membership, because the Union of Journalists decided to expand its powers in four more regions of Russia. The IFJ Executive Committee “unanimously adopted a motion condemning this decision and giving effect to Article 16 of the IFJ Statutes, which could lead to the suspension and eventual exclusion of the member organization.”
Countries that actively campaigned for the exclusion of the CFJ from the IFJ suddenly withdrew from the IFJ on the grounds that they were dissatisfied on three issues: “Russia”, “Transparency” and “Democracy”, the IFJ said in a statement. In addition, the unions of the northern states accused the IFJ of corruption, “it [МФЖ] rejects unsubstantiated allegations of corruption as false, defamatory and damaging,” the IFJ said in a response document.
The Union of Journalists of Russia is one of the largest in the world, with about 70,000 members. It includes 85 regional organizations and more than 40 creative associations, guilds and associations.
