On 16 October 2023, in the framework of the Media Freedom Rapid Response - MFRR project and with the support of the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe - CASE, Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa - OBCT and ARTICLE 19 Europe co-organised the first public event of the CASE Italia working group dedicated to countering SLAPPs. Organised on the day of the sixth anniversary of the murder of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, this public event examined the impact of the SLAPP phenomenon in Italy, contextualising it in the European landscape, and offering recommendations for journalists, activists, lawyers and citizens on how to counter it. The meeting was organised in Rome at Industrie Fluviali. On the initiative of Articolo 21, member of the working group, the meeting was recognised as part of the Continuing Professional Training of Journalists.
The meeting was organised in two sessions. The first panel offered the chance to hear from journalists, activists and whistleblowers targeted by SLAPP about their personal and professional experiences. The second panel was centred around a debate among a number of experts, such as media professionals, lawyers and activists, who discussed specificities of the Italian context and the continuity with the broader European panorama, as well as possible proposals aimed at contrasting SLAPPs and at strengthening the European anti-SLAPP transnational network.
CASE Italia
CASE Italia is an informal working group established in 2020, whose work is coordinated by Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa. The working group supports CASE in countering SLAPPs in Europe. In support of journalists, activists, whistleblowers, human rights defenders and others targeted by SLAPPs, our efforts are directed at exposing legal harassment and intimidation, and protecting the rights of those who speak out on matters of public interest. CASE Italia members are: Amnesty International Italia, ARTICLE 19 Europe, Articolo 21, Certi Diritti, Environmental Paper Network, Greenpeace Italia, Meglio Legale, OBC Transeuropa, The Good Lobby Italia, Transparency International Italia.
Streaming of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOXI25yhupE
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