Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine - Support Centres

Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine is a Kiev-based trade union, member of the European Federation of Journalists, that provides legal and advocacy support to associated staff and freelance journalists, editors, media outlets and civic bloggers. Oksana Vynnychuk, the executive secretary can be contacted by phone  + 380 50 356 57 58 or email sekterar@profspilka.org.ua The service is free for associated members.

Federación de Sindicatos de Periodistas - Support Centres

Federación de Sindicatos de Periodistas is a Spanish journalists association. It offers legal and advocacy support to Spanish staff and freelance journalists, editors, media outlets, and civic media/bloggers. For associated members the service is free, while for non-members fixed rates are applied. The person to be contacted is Manuel Mediavilla (manumediavilla@gmail.com or +34 934 127 763).

Association of Journalists of Macedonia - Support Centres

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) provides legal and advocacy support to staff journalists, editors, media outlets and freelance journalists. The service is paid through fixed rates, while for associated members it is free.
The person to be contacted is Dragan Sekulovski, via email dsekulovski@znm.org.mk, or contact@znm.org.mk or phone +389 2 2671 201.

Pro Bono Aliance (Czech Republic) - Support Centres

Pro Bono Aliance is a Prague-based Clearing House that operates in Czech Republic. Pro Bono Aliance matches the needs for free legal aid of civil society and NGOs that provide legal, financial or advocacy support for journalists/media outlets, and/or journalist associations, with attorneys and law firms willing to provide pro bono legal services.

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.