News Mfrr

Media pluralism in a legal limbo in Serbia

02/05/2023 -  Massimo Moratti Belgrade

The allocation of national broadcasting frequencies in Serbia highlights the lack of transparency and pluralism in the sector. Frequencies are only awarded to government-friendly media. Concerns have been expressed by both the European Commission and the European Parliament

Turkey: International groups demand release of Kurdish journalists, lawyers, political party officials detained in pre-election crackdown

28/04/2023

OBCT joins media freedom and human rights organisations calling for Turkish authorities to stop systematic harassment and intimidation of Kurdish journalists, media workers, media outlets, the lawyers that defend them, and Kurdish political party officials

Greece: MFRR to fund legal appeal for lawsuit against Alterthess

19/04/2023

OBCT joins MFRR partners in expressing dismay over the recent court ruling involving a SLAPP lawsuit against Greek media outlet Alterthess and one of its journalists, Stavroula Poulimeni. Given the dangerous consequences that such a legal precedent could have, MFRR organisations have decided to provide funding to cover legal fees for their appeal

Weaponizing GDPR: How EU data protection threatens press freedom in Greece

17/04/2023 -  Alessio Giussani

The instrumental use of EU data protection threatens press freedom in Greece. The case of journalist Stavroula Poulimeni and the independent media outlet Alterthess, sentenced in the first instance to pay compensation of 3,000 euros to Efstathios Lialos, executive of the Hellas Gold gold mine

Slavko Ćuruvija: impunity of the deep state in the case of murdered journalists in Serbia

12/04/2023 -  Massimo Moratti

24 years after the murder of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija, the perpetrators are still unpunished in Serbia. Although there is finally progress and hopefully the case will be finally solved, impunity remains widespread

Republika Srpska, the criminalisation of defamation and the squeeze on media freedom

28/03/2023 -  Arman Fazlić Sarajevo

The parliament of Republika Srpska approved in the first instance a bill to amend the criminal code which reintroduces the crime of defamation. Now sixty days of public debate and then back to the assembly. A dangerous step backwards for freedom of expression

Journalists in residence, the new call

22/03/2023

As part of the project Media Freedom Rapid Response, the Journalists in Residence programme – Milan launches a new call for applications open to journalists and media professionals who are experiencing some risk, threat or intimidation to their person as a direct result of their journalistic work

SLAPP in Bulgaria, record claim against Mediapool

21/03/2023 -  Francesco Martino Sofia

A record claim for compensation against Bulgarian online newspaper Mediapool, "guilty" of bringing the problems of the insurance sector to public attention. A trial brings the SLAPP issue back under the spotlight in Bulgaria, between fears and professional solidarity

Slavko Ćuruvija: Cycle of impunity for killing of journalists in Serbia must be broken

16/03/2023

Partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) renew their call for justice for the assassination of Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija to finally be secured and the cycle of impunity for the killings of journalists in Serbia to be broken

South Tyrol, the information monopoly and a new case of SLAPP

15/03/2023 -  Paola Rosà Rovereto

The Bolzano Salto.bz web portal has received a claim for damages for 150,000 Euros from the South Tyrol publishing giant Athesia. According to defence attorney Nicola Canestrini, it is a clear case of SLAPP, a gag complaint