Protection of Journalists and Critical Voices in Europe: Council of Europe Conferences in Strasbourg

The protection of journalists from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), legal safeguards for critical voices, and strengthening freedom of expression, along with the need for legislative reforms across European countries, are key themes being discussed at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

Dragan Sekulovski, Director of the Association of Journalists of Macedonia and former member of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (MSI-SLP), responsible for drafting the current recommendations, is participating alongside representatives from the judiciary, the Ministry of Justice, and the Council of Europe’s office in Skopje at two significant conferences dedicated to the protection of freedom of expression and media.

The first conference, organized under the regional initiative “Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in the Western Balkans (PRO-FREX),” which is part of the European Union and Council of Europe’s joint “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye 2023-2026,” took place in Strasbourg.

The second conference, titled “Regional Exchange: Countering the Use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) in the Western Balkans,” will be held on November 15, 2024, in Strasbourg, focusing on sharing experiences to prevent the misuse of lawsuits as a tool of pressure against journalists and the media.

These conferences are crucial as they facilitate the exchange of experiences and initiate legislative reforms aimed at providing stronger protection for journalists and all participants in the public sphere.