Slovakia: Lack of justice for Kuciak and Kušnírová’s assassination exacerbated by growing attacks on press freedom - Article

On the sixth anniversary of the brutal killing of investigative reporter Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, the undersigned organisations renew our call for long-awaited justice for their killings and the imperative to break the cycle of impunity.

Serbia, no justice for the Ćuruvija murder - Article

Twenty-five years after the murder of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija and nine after the start of the trial against the four accused of the murder, after a first conviction in 2019 and the repetition of the trial, on Monday 5 February the Court of Appeal of Belgrade acquitted the defendants

By Massimo Moratti

Originally published by OBCT . Also available in ITA

Report launch: Bosnia and Herzegovina, media freedom in survival mode - Article

OBCT and MFRR partner organizations published the full report from their international press freedom fact-finding mission that took place last October in Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Open SLAPP Cases in 2022 and 2023 - The Incidence of Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, and Regulatory Responses in the European Union - Reports

This research, commissioned by the Committee of Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) of the European Parliament, aims to analyze SLAPP cases and threats initiated between 2022 and 2023

Hungary: Draft Sovereignty Protection Act poses fresh threat to independent media - Article

OBCT joins MFRR partners in drawing the attention of the European Union about the chilling impact of the new Hungarian bill on independent media

Anti-SLAPP campaigners from across Europe stand in solidarity with the Russian dissident authors after an injunction was secured against their publ... - Article

Free expression organisations express their concern regarding the legal harassment of Russian émigrés investigative journalists

Netherlands: Vexatious lawsuit against Het Financieele Dagblad condemned - Article

OBCT joins the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) in deploring the lawsuit against Dutch daily newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad (FD) and in expressing solidarity with the FD and its journalists. The case, of which the hearing will take place on 13 November 2023, is a clear attempt to silence and discourage Het Financieele Dagblad and its journalists from further reporting

Open letter: “We refuse to let the anti-SLAPP directive be a missed opportunity” - Article

OBCT joins international organisations in calling for robust anti-SLAPP Directive

Also available in ITA

Turkey: Repeal the "disinformation offence" and overreaching legal amendments - Article

Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partner organisations and Article 19 Europe reiterate their call for the annulment of Article 217/A of the Turkish Penal Code and related legal amendments passed in October 2022 that undermine international standards on the right to freedom of expression and of the press.

Serbia 2023 Report - Reports

Each year the European Commission monitors the progress of candidate countries in their reform process aimed at the EU accession. As part of the annual progress report, the EC assesses the developments in relation to freedom of expression and media pluralism and independence