Thematic factsheet: SLAPP in Italy, a democratic emergency - Article

by Paola Rosà

A limited selection of cases from an ocean of lawsuits. A paper sent to the INI rapporteurs of the Draft Report on the strengthening democracy and media freedom and pluralism in the EU: the undue use of actions under civil and criminal law to silence journalists, NGOs and civil society

MFRR condemns defamation lawsuit against Gazeta Wyborcza Editor-in-Chief by Polish Justice Minister - Article

The partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today strongly condemn the civil defamation lawsuit launched against the editor-in-chief of Poland’s biggest daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza by the serving Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro

Solidarity with the Swedish media outlet Realtid ahead of the first hearing in their UK defamation case - Article

Twenty-four organisations express their solidarity with the Swedish business and finance publication, Realtid, its editor, and the two journalists being sued for defamation in London. Realtid are due before the High Court tomorrow for a two-day remote hearing that will decide whether England and Wales is the appropriate jurisdiction for the case to be heard

New website of the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe - Article

CASE is a coalition of NGOs from across Europe representing a range of different public watchdogs united in recognition of the threat posed to their work by Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), abusive lawsuits designed to silence critical speech. Join CASE for the launch of their new website on 26 March, 11:30am CET

EU 2020: DEMANDING ON DEMOCRACY - Reports

Country & Trend Reports on Democratic Records by Civil Liberties Organisations Across the European Union

MFRR Monitoring Report II - Reports

From July to October 2020, attacks on media freedom in Europe took many forms, as the Media Freedom Rapid Response’s second monitoring report documents. Besides anti-lockdown demonstrations and online harassment, the impact of legal actions (SLAPPs) contributed to a hostile climate for journalists and media workers. Find all the details in the second MFRR-report

France: one defamation action dropped, but the threat remains - Article

The MFRR welcomes the dropping of the defamation action against Inès Léraud but vexatious legal threats continue to threaten media freedom across Europe

Albania: Defence Minister’s Chief of Cabinet issues legal threat against journalist - Article

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), is concerned about legal proceedings initiated by Belioza Çoku, the Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Defence, against journalist Juljana Ristani, who published a story on undue interference with lists of nominees for educational bursaries in thecontext of a public competition held by the Ministry of Defence

Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation - Academic Sources

"A weapon to intimidate people who are exercising their constitutional rights, restrain public interest in advocacy and activism; and convert matters of public interest into technical private law disputes”

Albania: new cases of SLAPP to silence reporters - Article

Strategic lawsuits are used to intimidate journalists, and ECPMF condemns the recent lawsuits filed in Albania by private companies