International Press Institute (IPI)

“While the situation in the courts remains critical with up to 79 journalists currently in prison, the last year has seen the battleground over freedom of expression shift from the courtroom to the regulators who have ramped up their punishments for print and broadcast media.”

Freelance journalist Ronnie Villamor, who was covering a land dispute in Masbate Province, was shot dead by soldiers in an ‘encounter’. Four journalists have been killed this year in the Philippines.

“SLAPPs are a far less barbaric means of silencing someone than a car bomb or a bullet to the head, but their silencing effect is often just as destructive.”

One year after an International Mission to Mexico, the government has failed to fulfil its commitments, and the freedom of expression situation in the country is worsening.

This is the second time in four months that a car belonging to the ‘Reporteri.net’ journalist has been targeted by unidentified individuals.

“Turkey’s press freedom crisis is worsening amid growing state capture of media, the lack of independence of regulatory institutions, and a new social media law designed to clamp down on the remaining spaces for free comment.”

“SLAPP cases such as this one threaten independent journalism. It would be a sad irony if Necenzurirano, which in Slovenian means ‘Uncensored’, itself becomes the latest media outlet in Europe to fall victim to censorship by brazen abuse of the law”.

Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners wrote to Bulgarian leaders to condemn the recent police violence and intimidation against journalists reporting on anti-government protests.