Silencing Voices in Italy: The Erosion of Media Freedom - Article

Italy's media is in crisis, battling legal onslaughts and facing a surge of censorship one year after the establishment of the far-right government led by Giorgia Meloni

By Sielke Kelner

(Originally published by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung , 16.01.2024)

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

Also available in ITA

SLAPP ー Mechanism for silencing the public: Analysis of Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation in Serbia, BiH and Montenegro - Reports

This analysis, realized by the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina, sheds light on the nature and impacts of SLAPP cases against media outlets, journalists, and NGO activists in the three Balkan countries

Media freedom groups call for justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia and press safety in Malta - Article

OBCT joins international organizations in calling for Maltese authorities to bring to justice those responsible for Daphne Caruana Galizia's killing

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

Italy: call in support of Roberto Saviano, defendant in a SLAPP case initiated by PM Giorgia Meloni - Article

Following the fourth hearing in the SLAPP case initiated by PM Giorgia Meloni against Roberto Saviano, OBCT joins media and journalists' freedom organisations in expressing solidarity with the Italian writer

Also available in ITA

Serbia: Legal harassment of investigative media outlet KRIK must stop - Article

OBCT joins international press freedom and journalists’ organisations in expressing solidarity with Serbian media outlet KRIK, whose newsroom is continuously subjected to legal harassment

SLAPPs in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Article

Also in Bosnia and Herzegovina one of the major obstacles to the exercise of the journalistic profession is represented by the so-called SLAPPs, lawsuits seeking to silence or limit the work of journalists and civil rights activists

By Arman Fazlić

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA and BHS

The need to strengthen the protection of the right to freedom of expression and information through legal reforms in Italy - Legal Resources

On 23 October 2022, the new Italian Government, led by Giorgia Meloni, was appointed, following the parliamentary elections in September. In light of rhetoric during the election campaign and the programme of the leading far-right political coalition formed by Lega, Forza Italia and Fratelli D’Italia, which the Prime Minister is a member of, ARTICLE 19 Europe and members of the Media Freedom Rapid Response are concerned about the new Government’s commitment to protecting human rights

Gag lawsuits, an anti-SLAPP shield is coming - Article

OCCRP, the transnational investigative journalism platform against crime and corruption, has devised a system to prevent lawsuits, prevent self-censorship, and defend journalists from gag lawsuits – an actual shield in defence of reporters. Drew Sullivan, co-founder of OCCRP, explains it to us

By Paola Rosà