Focus on law and litigation

SLAPP in Croatia, a plague

21/10/2024

Over a thousand lawsuits filed between 2016 and 2023 against journalists and media outlets, nearly half of which are SLAPPs, or strategic lawsuits against public participation. These are frivolous lawsuits that aim to silence freedom of expression

By Giovanni Vale

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA

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Access to Information Day: Blocking of freedom of information requests must be reported

10/10/2024

28 September is International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), as announced at the UN in 2015. The right to access information is the foundation of all democratic processes and societies. Any obstacle in this field directly impacts the work of journalists and society’s right to be informed. Documentation of violations targeting this right from a media freedom perspective draws attention to this notion and contributes to transparency and journalistic freedom

By Gürkan Özturan, ECPMF Monitoring Officer

Originally published by MFRR

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Press freedom in Italy: those in power are not to be criticised

03/05/2024

In 2021, then opposition leader Giorgia Meloni sued Roberto Saviano for defamation. Last October, the Rome Criminal Court issued a sentence against the Italian writer. A ruling that alarmed Italian and European civil society. We had a conversation about it with Antonio Nobile, Saviano's lawyer

By Sielke Kelner

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA

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Croatia, journalists on the streets

02/02/2024

Hundreds of journalists took to the streets in Zagreb against the Plenković government's amendments to the Criminal Code, which limit the right to report. According to the Association of Croatian Journalists, the prime minister wants to silence investigations into his government's corruption

By Giovanni Vale

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA

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Silencing Voices in Italy: The Erosion of Media Freedom

19/01/2024

Italy's media is in crisis, battling legal onslaughts and facing a surge of censorship one year after the establishment of the far-right government led by Giorgia Meloni

By Sielke Kelner

(Originally published by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung , 16.01.2024)

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Media, politics, and vexatious lawsuits - An Italian perspective

31/08/2023

An excerpt from the 2023 MFRR Summit dedicated to “Press Freedom on the Line” - which took place from the 29 to the 31 of March dedicated to the spreading of the SLAPP phenomenon in Italy. Recently, Italy has drawn the attention of several international organisations working on media freedom. A cause for concern is the rapid succession of defamation lawsuits and subsequent legal proceedings against Italian journalists and intellectuals brought up by politicians and high-ranking public figures. By exploring the case study of Italian newspaper Domani – which in a matter of months has been respectively threatened to be sued and sued by two high profile public figures – the discussion focused on defamation, SLAPPs, and the challenges Italian media face when reporting on public figures.

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BiH: Republika Srpska reintroduces the crime of defamation

24/07/2023

On Thursday 20 July, the People's Assembly of the Republika Srpska adopted the Law on Amendments to the Crimial Code envisaging criminalization of defamation. Calls from international and local actors to protect freedom of speech and withdraw the scandalous provision that qualifies defamation as a criminal offense have gone unheeded

By Arman Fazlić

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA and BHS

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Sara Manisera: the challenges of investigative journalism

05/06/2023

Investigative journalists, in addition to the risks of the trade, often incur libel lawsuits, SLAPPs, etc.. Especially if, like Sara Manisera, they deal with sensitive issues such as organised crime. We interviewed her

By Sielke Kelner

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

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Weaponizing GDPR: How EU data protection threatens press freedom in Greece

17/04/2023

The instrumental use of EU data protection threatens press freedom in Greece. The case of journalist Stavroula Poulimeni and the independent media outlet Alterthess, sentenced in the first instance to pay compensation of 3,000 euros to Efstathios Lialos, executive of the Hellas Gold gold mine

By Alessio Giussani

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

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Republika Srpska, the criminalisation of defamation and the squeeze on media freedom

28/03/2023

The parliament of Republika Srpska approved in the first instance a bill to amend the criminal code which reintroduces the crime of defamation. Now sixty days of public debate and then back to the assembly. A dangerous step backwards for freedom of expression

By Arman Fazlić

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA and BHS

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