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

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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.

Dismay at the abrupt closure of investigation into smear campaign against Emilia Șercan - Article

OBCT joins media freedom groups in expressing deep disappointment at the decision of Romania’s Prosecutor Office at the Bucharest Court of Appeal to close the investigation into the smear campaign against the Romanian journalist

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End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists - Article

On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, OBCT joins MFRR partners in remembering those European reporters whose families still await justice for their murders

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Ima li pravde za slobodu izražavanja? - Is there a right to freedom of expression? - Reports

This report provides relevant data on cases of media disputes in Serbia, analyzing how competent courts deal with freedom of expression-related issues

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Media freedom in survival mode - Article

Following a press freedom mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 22-25 October 2023, the partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) warn that media freedom in the country is in decline against a backdrop of new restrictive laws, hostile rhetoric and denigration of journalists by public officials, and ongoing systemic challenges to the independence of public service media

Reporting surveillance: the experience of Omer Benjakob - Article

Investigative tech reporter Omer Benjakob, member of the desk behind the publication of the cybersecurity focused newsletter NatSec+ for the newspaper Haaretz, speaks to OBCT/MFRR about the challenges of covering the surveillance tech industry in Israel, one of the countries that has developed this industry the most

For a transnational anti-SLAPP network: countering gags on public participation - Reports

On October 16, 2023, the first public event of CASE Italia dedicated to countering SLAPPs took place in Rome. Speakers included journalists, activists, experts in the field, and representatives of a range of organisations advocating for freedom of expression

Italy: Roberto Saviano's conviction a major blow to free expression - Article

OBCT joins international media freedom, free expression, and journalist organisations in expressing shock over criminal conviction of the Italian writer

Also available in ITA