Russian surveillance law - Legal Resources

In a case related to alleged mobile phone surveillance, the European Court of Human Rights decided that an editor in Russia was entitled to claim to be a victim of a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Anti-terrorist surveillance law - Legal Resources

After a case filed by a non-governmental watchdog organisation, the European Court of Human Rights has decided that the Hungarian anti-terrorist surveillance law violates the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)

Countering Online Abuse of Female Journalists - Reports

Female journalists and bloggers throughout the globe are disproportionally facing gender-related threats, harassment, and intimidation on the Internet compared to their male colleagues. The OSCE addresses this new challenge to freedom of expression and digital rights

Access Info Europe: Accessing companies registers #1 Tuesday 02 February 2016 - Infographic

  Companies operating in the public sphere should be accountable for their actions and impacts on human rights and the environment, and in order to achieve this, transparency is essential. Moving ... In the wake the commitment to guarantee the right to access information of public relevance, Access Info Europe has filed requests to 32 European countries to obtain the access to the company

Share Foundation (Serbia) - Support Centres

The Share Foundation is an international NGO based in Belgrade (Serbia). SHARE Defense is part of the Share Foundation and its goal is to fight for the public interest concerning digital rights within the fields of privacy, free speech, government transparency and efficiency, surveillance and human rights.

Share Foundation provides low cost legal and advocacy support to staff journalists, editors, media outlets, bloggers, freelance journalists, NGOs and journalist associations in Serbia.

SHARE Defense staff includes lawyers, analysts, journalists and technicians with an expertise in the protection of digital rights.

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

Observatory of Media Freedom (Poland) - Support Centres

'The Observatory of Media Freedom in Poland' is a legal program founded by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) in 2008 and operates in Poland. Its focus is on the protection related to freedom of expression in traditional media as well as on the Internet. 

The program provides legal aid concerning inter alia issues such as criminal defamation, press law offences, protection of journalistic sources of information, the liability of the Internet service providers etc. During court proceedings, the ‘Observatory’ can as well arrange pro bono legal assistance for journalists who cannot afford to pay for regular legal aid.

Freedom of Information Guidebook - Reports

The guidebook explains how the right to access information is legally protected in Georgia, and on which grounds it can be restricted, providing everyday life examples

Journalism is not terrorism - Legal Resources

Despite ruling that the UK's Terrorism Act is incompatible with human rights and more protection is needed for journalists, Britain's Court of Appeal also ruled authorities were justified in detaining a reporter and confiscating his equipment at Heathrow Airport