In a statement to mark World Press Freedom on Monday, European Parliament president David Sassoli expressed solidarity with journalists who "face intimidation while carrying out their essential work".
"Threatening a journalist means threatening everyone's freedom," tweeted Sassoli, who is a former news anchorman for Italy's public broadcaster RAI.
"Without an independent press there is no true democracy," the tweet added.
"The European Parliament stands by all journalists who face intimidation while carrying out their essential work."
The theme of this year's World Press Freedom Day is 'Information as a Public Good'. The day also remembers slain journalists like Maltese reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia, who lost their lives pursuing a story.
