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IFJ to consider suspension of Russian Union of Journalists on February 22

The document notes that the IFJ regrets the decision by unions from Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway to give notice of their intention to leave the IFJ

BRUSSELS, February 1. /TASS/. The International Federation of Journalists will consider suspending the membership of the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) on February 22, according to its statement published in Brussels on Wednesday.

According to the document, after the RUJ established four branches in Russia’s new regions, the IFJ Executive Committee "unanimously passed a motion, in line with the IFJ rules, condemning the decision and triggering Article 16 of the IFJ Constitution, which can lead to the suspension and eventual expulsion of an affiliate." "The report of the [IFJ] General Secretary will be presented to the Administrative Committee on 9 February and considered by an extraordinary session of the Executive Committee on 22 February, which has the power to suspend the RUJ," the statement explains.

The document also notes that the IFJ regrets the decision by unions from Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway to give notice of their intention to leave the IFJ. Since the summer of 2022, they have been demanding to expel the RUJ from the IFJ. "A meeting was held in Copenhagen on 20 September during which the IFJ Nordic affiliates asked a series of questions and requested a further meeting on 27 January. The IFJ President wrote answering these questions. Despite this, on 19 December the Nordic Unions said they had a lack of confidence in the IFJ, that they were not satisfied on three issues: ‘Russia,’ ‘Transparency’ and ‘Democracy’," the IFJ’s statement reads.

The document stresses that the IFJ has resolutely rejected the accusations. "While the IFJ always strives to improve all its operations it rejects unsubstantiated allegations of corruption as false, defamatory and damaging," it notes.

Earlier, Reuters reported that the IFJ Executive Committee had initiated the process of Russia’s expulsion. According to the news agency, "the Nordic members accused the IFJ of longstanding undemocratic practices, unethical finances and of allowing the Russian state media representatives to continue as members." In his turn, Vladimir Soloviev, head of the Russian Union of Journalists, told TASS that no official decision had been made on the expulsion of Russia’s Union of Journalists from the International Federation of Journalists and the organization had not received any official notices on the matter.