Lithuania: investigative journalism and privacy - Article

Today, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partner organisations and the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation have written to Director Raimondas Andrijauskas and Deputy Director Danguolė Morkūnienė of the Lithuanian State Data Protection Inspectorate (SDPI)’s to express concern at their attempted obstruction of investigative project “Karštos Pėdos” (“Hot Feet”)’s journalistic activity

The authorities vs. the citizens. ‘In the crosshairs’ namely SLAPP Polish-style - Reports

Polish independent news service OKO.press, supported by the Rafto Foundation, prepared a report about SLAPPs. The report is based on 21 interviews with activists and lawyers, as well as discussions with activists, including in courts and at police stations, not only with the accused and charged, but also with those who came to demonstrate their support

Germany: MFRR expresses concern over rising attacks against journalists covering protests - Article

The undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today express their concern about the increasing number of attacks against journalists across Germany, particularly in the context of anti-vaccine demonstrations. We call for better safety measures and protection as well as thorough investigations of attacks against journalists covering such demonstrations. Moreover, preventative measures are needed to stop such attacks from happening. Finally, we encourage media workers to report press and media freedom violations

Serbia: Penal Code amendments require open and comprehensive debate - Article

We co-signed a statement calling for a broader and open consultation on the amendments of the Penal Code proposed by the Ministry of Justice

Poland: journalist’s criminal defamation conviction may further impair freedom of expression - Article

MFRR partners stand in solidarity with Polityka journalist Ewa Siedlecka, who has been convicted of criminal defamation. Amid the ongoing erosion of media freedom in Poland, there is a justified fear that this verdict might pave the way for a wider criminalisation of expressing an opinion based on information present in the public space

State of SLAPPs in Serbia - Reports

The latest report by ARTICLE 19, the American Bar Association (ABA) Center for Human Rights, and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), analyses the provisions that are most commonly misused to file SLAPPs, strategic lawsuits against public participation, in Serbia. The report highlights patterns from multiple cases brought against journalists and activists by public officials and other powerful individuals in the past 10 years

MFRR Monitoring Report: January - June 2021 - Reports

The MFRR monitoring report summarises press and media freedom violations across EU Member States and candidate countries from January 2021 until June 2021. Throughout the reporting period, 272 alerts have been documented, ranging from verbal attacks to legal incidents. 438 individuals or media entities in 26 countries have been subject to one or more press freedom violations

Needs and Gaps Brief No. 1: Italy - Article

The first of a series of briefs presenting the results of the forthcoming Needs and Gaps analysis

Curated by Maria Francesca Rita

Nineteen organisations condemn the lawsuits brought against Catherine Belton and HarperCollins, deeming them “SLAPPs” - Article

The undersigned organisations express their serious concern at the legal proceedings that are being brought against journalist and author Catherine Belton and her publisher HarperCollins

Legal harassment and abuse of the judicial system against the media - Reports

This special report by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media focuses on three of the most poignant and current topics related to legal harassment: “extremism” and terrorism related charges under public law; defamation claims under public law; and abusive private lawsuits against journalists and other media workers. The report aims to provide general guidance to the OSCE participating States regarding their related commitments