Case Studies

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Biased rulings in defamation cases

Date: 
28 Jan 2015
Macedonia, MDC

Journalists in Macedonia are getting free legal support thanks to MLDI and our partner, the Media Development Centre. This help is vital in a country where judges are making blatantly biased rulings in defamation cases involving public figures.

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News website sued over prison abuse claims

Date: 
18 Nov 2014
Russia, MMDC, internet freedom

A respected Russian news website dedicated to reporting human rights issues has been sued by the regional Russian Federal Penitentiary Service. With support from MLDI, lawyers with The Mass Media Defence Centre are fighting the case.

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In Rwanda, we helped free two journalists from jail

Date: 
2 Nov 2014
rwanda, Agnès Uwimana, Saidati Mukakibibi, National Security, strategic litigation, criminal defamation

"I’m very happy to have left prison and I’m going to pursue my journalism career. I’m not afraid."

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YouTube – an internet freedom case that will impact on people throughout the Islamic world

Date: 
2 Nov 2014
Pakistan, Bytes for All, Youtube, internet freedom

"Working with MLDI, we were always more credible, more authentic, more confident"

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What happened next: Gunta Sloga, Latvia

Date: 
10 Sep 2014
Latvia, Gunta Sloga, criminal defamation

"In the end, the politician who sued me was very unhappy because not only had he lost the case but the story had been retold over and over again in the press. My main victory – if you could call it that – is that he wasn’t re-elected to the European Parliament. I don’t think that’s 100 per cent down to my story but I do feel there’s at least one brick in the wall put there by me."

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Burundi’s Repressive Press Laws Challenged

Date: 
7 Jul 2014
Burundi, Burundi Union of Journalists, EACJ, Press Law challenge

One year after the Burundian parliament adopted a repressive press law that has seen journalists threatened with heavy fines and some of their sources imprisoned, the country's journalists' union and MLDI are hopeful that their day in court to challenge the law is near.

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Focus on: Press and Net Freedom in Russia

Date: 
7 Jul 2014
Russia, MMDC

Our Focus On features explore the situation for journalists working in a particular country and look at some of the issues they face. In Russia, recent legislation means popular bloggers now have to register with the government. Galina Arapova, director of the Mass Media Defense Center, tells us more.

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Reporting on Issues of Corruption in Nigeria

Date: 
26 Jun 2014
Nigeria, Sahara Reporters, Civil Defamation

Omoyele Sowore set up Sahara Reporters in 2006 to report on issues of corruption. He has been subjected to numerous verbal and written attacks and three different legal cases. MLDI has supported him in each of these cases by providing him with pro bono legal support. In the most recent a Nigerian lawyer, who had been instructed by the Nigerian Government to pursue Sowore, has himself been exposed as corrupt and in May was sentenced to six years in prison.

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Reporting Corruption in Sri Lanka

Date: 
17 Jun 2014
Sri Lanka, Lal Wickrematunge, Impunity

In June 1994, brothers Lasantha and Lal Wickrematunge set up the Sunday Leader, with a focus on reporting about corruption and governance issues within the government. From the very earliest days the government was attacking their efforts and in 2009 Lasantha was brutally killed. Lal tells us more about the brothers’ vision and what is happening today in Sri Lanka.

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“Super Lawyer” Rob Balin

Date: 
10 Jan 2014
Rob Balin, Pro Bono Network

Rob Balin, who regularly provides pro bono assistance to MLDI in free speech cases around the world, is a media law specialist at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP in New York, where he co-chairs the firm’s media law and First Amendment practice.

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