One year after Bucha, independent journalism remains as vital as ever for uncovering atrocities of war - Article

OBCT joins partners in expressing their solidarity towards media workers who have been reporting on the massacre of Bucha, calling on the international community to continue to support the work of independent media covering the war

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

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

MFRR Summit 2023 | Press Freedom on the Line - Article

The MFRR Summit is back, and this year we’re holding our conference under the title of “Press Freedom on the Line” from 29 – 31 March 2023

Journalists in residence, the new call - Article

As part of the project Media Freedom Rapid Response, the Journalists in Residence programme – Milan launches a new call for applications open to journalists and media professionals who are experiencing some risk, threat or intimidation to their person as a direct result of their journalistic work

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Journalists organisations call on the National Assembly to reject amendments to the defamation law - Article

OBCT joins MFRR partners in urging the members of the Republika Srpska National Assembly to reject the draft law that aims at reintroducing the criminalisation of defamation in the Criminal Code

SLAPP in Bulgaria, record claim against Mediapool - Article

A record claim for compensation against Bulgarian online newspaper Mediapool, "guilty" of bringing the problems of the insurance sector to public attention. A trial brings the SLAPP issue back under the spotlight in Bulgaria, between fears and professional solidarity

By Francesco Martino

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

Slavko Ćuruvija: Cycle of impunity for killing of journalists in Serbia must be broken - Article

Partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) renew their call for justice for the assassination of Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija to finally be secured and the cycle of impunity for the killings of journalists in Serbia to be broken

South Tyrol, the information monopoly and a new case of SLAPP - Article

The Bolzano Salto.bz web portal has received a claim for damages for 150,000 Euros from the South Tyrol publishing giant Athesia. According to defence attorney Nicola Canestrini, it is a clear case of SLAPP, a gag complaint

By Paola Rosà

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

Romania: in conversation with investigative journalist Emilia Șercan - Article

Investigative journalist and university lecturer Emilia Sercan is at the centre of a new smear campaign after revealing that the Interior minister had plagiarised his doctoral thesis. We met her

By Sielke Kelner

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

SLAPPs in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Article

Also in Bosnia and Herzegovina one of the major obstacles to the exercise of the journalistic profession is represented by the so-called SLAPPs, lawsuits seeking to silence or limit the work of journalists and civil rights activists

By Arman Fazlić

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA and BHS