Hungarian Civil Liberties Union - Support Centres

Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ) is an NGO operating in Hungary. TASZ provides legal and advocacy support to staff and freelance journalists, editors, media outlets, civic journalists or bloggers, NGOs, and journalist associations on a pro-bono fee basis. The responsible person is Dalma Dojcsák, contactable via email ddalma@tasz.hu or phone +3612790046.

Association des Journalistes Professionels (Belgium) - Support Centres

Association des Journalistes Professionels (AVBB/AGJP) is a Belgian journalist association based in Brussels. AVBB provides free legal support to associated members.

ARTICLE 19 - Support Centres

ARTICLE 19 is an international NGO based in London and operating all over Europe. Article 19 offers free legal advice and advocacy support for Staff journalists, editors, media outlets, civic journalists/bloggers, freelance journalists, NGOs, and/or journalist associations.

E-mail: info@article19.org

Alliance of Lawyers for Human Rights - Support Centres

Established in 2009, the Alliance of Lawyers for Human Rights (Alliance des Avocats pour les droits de l'homme, AADH) is a worldwide organization providing legal support to organizations dedicated to the protection of human and environmental rights, including NGOs that provide legal support for journalist associations. Furthermore, in the case of Human Rights violations, the AADH provides legal information in order to structure and ensure the victim’s defense, as well as legal representation before the courts.

Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI) - Support Centres

Media Defence (also known as MLDI) provides legal defence to independent media, journalists and bloggers around the world who are under threat for their reporting. MLDI does this by administering an emergency defence fund, helping journalists, bloggers and independent media pay legal fees, and provides legal expertise to the lawyer(s) defending a case. 

MLDI also engages in strategic litigation to challenge repressive laws and expand the space for media freedom. Through this, it seeks to advance respect for international law and norms on the right to freedom of expression. MLDI submits cases to domestic courts and international tribunals and intervenes in cases already under way, as well as supporting national lawyers to do the same.

In countries where the threat of legal action is high and constant, MLDI provides financial support and legal expertise to national organisations that provide legal defence services to journalists.

MLDI also runs training and networking programmes for lawyers in the fields of media law and human rights. 

E-mail: info@mediadefence.org

Ossigeno per l'Informazione - Support Centres

Ossigeno per l'Informazione grants free legal assistance for journalists to help them resist the pressure of intimidation, thanks to the cooperation with the London-based Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI).

The Legal Office of Ossigeno is coordinated by the lawyer Andrea Di Pietro, an expert in information and communication law and legal consultant to Ossigeno per l’Informazione.

E-mail: sportellolegaleossigeno@gmail.com

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) - Support Centres

ECPMF offers several support programmes for journalists at risk.

- Journalists-in-Residence programme: The ECPMF’s Journalists-in-Residence (JiR) programme offers temporary shelter for journalists facing harassment and intimidation as a direct result of their work. Journalists get the chance to rest and recuperate in a safe and discreet place, and also to continue their investigative work at their own pace and use their time in Leipzig for networking and finding solidarity. The JiR programme lasts for either three or up to six months, and includes a rent-free furnished apartment in Leipzig, as well as a monthly stipend to cover basic living costs. It also covers travel and visa expenses, health insurance, psychological counselling, and journalism-related training sessions on topics like digital security, mobile reporting and social media management. More info here .

- Legal support: ECPMF offers and coordinates legal support on matters related to free speech for individuals and organisations working in countries located geographically in Europe. More info here .

- Helpdesk: he Helpdesk is ECPMF central tool for responding to the individual needs of journalists at risk and under threat. ECPMF supports media professionals across Europe in order to find a place of safety in emergency cases and we assist exiled journalists in Germany, irrespective of their origin. More info here .

- Women’s Reporting Point: it aims to deepen a gender-specific aspect of the safety of journalists and encourages female media workers to report it if they are subjected to harassment or they witness it in their journalistic work. Reports received are given priority, treated confidentially and are only handled by women staff. More info here .