2025 Rule of Law Report – Country Chapter: Italy - Reports

The 2025 Rule of Law Report highlights both progress and persistent challenges in Italy's media landscape, including regulatory reforms and funding for public service media. Concerns remain over journalist safety, legal pressures, and stalled defamation law reform

Organisations across Europe take part in actions against SLAPPs as Greenpeace International brings a groundbreaking legal case - Article

OBCT joins free expression organisations for the European Day of Action against SLAPPs

Challenges to the Rule of Law and Media Freedom in Montenegro - Reports

This shadow report provides an updated overview of the media landscape in Montenegro, highlighting the most pressing issues affecting the sector. Particular attention is given to political influence over the public broadcaster, the media regulator, and the broader impact of foreign actors

Shadow Report on Media Freedom in North Macedonia - Reports

This shadow report offers an updated overview of North Macedonia’s media landscape. It highlights both positive developments and persisting or emerging challenges. The report also includes a set of recommendations addressed to national authorities and EU stakeholders, urging decisive action to uphold media freedom in line with European and international standards

Kosovo: Steadfast support for Flutura Kusari as she seeks justice against Mentor Llugaliu’s harassment - Article

OBCT joins free expression organizations in expressing support for colleague Flutura Kusari, Senior Legal Advisor at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), who has been the target of a prolonged online harassment campaign

Serbia: Media regulator election again made a mockery of EU-required reforms - Article

Process to appoint new members of media regulator council was again conducted in non-transparent and discriminatory manner

Global Climate Legal Defense (CliDef) - Support Centres

Global Climate Legal Defense (CliDef) is a nonprofit initiative founded in November 2022 during COP27 by Equation Campaign. Its mission is to protect frontline climate defenders—activists, scientists, journalists, Indigenous leaders, parents, and students—who often face legal, financial, and political backlash for their work.

CliDef operates through a four-pronged strategy:

1. Providing legal advice and strategic planning to help individuals anticipate and respond to legal reprisals effectively;
2. Funding and supporting local lawyers and NGOs, since pro bono legal help is scarce in many regions; 
3. Coordinating legal support, matching defenders with the right attorneys and staying involved throughout cases;
4. Building a global legal network, expanding the pool of expertise—ranging from tax and defamation to criminal defense—to strengthen climate defenders worldwide.

CliDef ensures that those fighting for climate justice are not legally outgunned by fossil-fuel interests or government power, enabling them to continue their vital work.

The SLAPPs Research Group - Stakeholders

The SLAPPs Research Group is an independent research platform for a balanced and informed perspective on the issue of strategic litigation against public participation (SLAPPs) and anti-SLAPP reform. The Group aims to foster cooperation and interaction between different research perspectives on SLAPPs from around the world.

What’s in a joke? Assessing humor in free speech jurisprudence - Reports

Primarily aimed at legal professionals, yet also valuable to policymakers or advocacy groups, this toolkit is conceived to provide orientation in assessing humour in the context of free speech adjudication, exploring the specific challenges it poses, the legal safeguards protecting humour and satire as well as the limitations of their exercise, to present concrete interpretative tools in free speech cases, while also considering the relevant intersections with intellectual property law

SLAPP in Italy: Testimonies from Those Targeted by Legal Harassment Tuesday 10 June 2025 - Infographic

informarsi"), giving voice to the testimonies of those who have been targeted by SLAPPs.In this video series, the stories of those who have experienced this legal intimidation firsthand: Fabio Gobbato ... In Italy, the systematic use of vexatious lawsuits (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation – SLAPPs) and other forms of legal harassment aimed at silencing critical voices is a worrying ... SLAPP in Italy: Testimonies from Those Targeted by Legal Harassment