Case Challenging Impunity in the Killing of Journalist Léo Veras Reaches the IACHR Six Years After His Death
On the sixth anniversary of the killing of Brazilian journalist Lourenço “Léo” Veras, the Institute for Environmental Law and Economics (Instituto de Derecho y Economía Ambiental – IDEA) and Media Defence have submitted a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), concerning the responsibility of the Paraguayan State in relation to his death […]
French Court of Appeal Dismisses Surgeon’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Marsactu and Mediapart
Aix-en-Provence Court of Appeal dismissed surgeon Michel Assor’s defamation lawsuit against Marsactu’s article published in 2024.
Khadija Ismayilova Secures Win against Azerbaijan at European Court
The European Court of Human Rights has found that the criminal conviction of Khadija Ismayilova, a renowned Azeri journalist and civil society activist, was baseless, unfair, and a violation of her right to freedom of expression. The Court has held that by bringing criminal charges against her, the Azeri authorities violated Articles 6, 7, 10, […]
Danileţ v. Romania: Sanction against Judge over Facebook posts held to Violate Freedom of Expression by ECtHR Grand Chamber
The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has held that a disciplinary sanction imposed on the applicant, a judge, by the Romanian national judicial authorities for messages posted on his Facebook account violated his right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the Convention. The applicant had posted two messages on […]
Azadliq Newspaper v. Azerbaijan: ECtHR finds Azerbaijan Failed in Press Freedom Case
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Azerbaijan violated the right to freedom of expression of Azadliq, a leading independent opposition newspaper. Azadliq was represented by Media Defence in the proceedings. The Court found that Azadliq’s reporting on alleged corruption addressed a matter of clear public interest and that the defamation award imposed on the […]
Arshad Sharif: 3 Years On Impunity Persists
Today marks three years since the killing of prominent Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif who was fatally shot at close range by Kenyan police at a roadblock near Nairobi. According to the authorities, police opened fire on the car Sharif was travelling in after allegedly mistaking it for a stolen vehicle they were pursuing. However, the […]
Watch our Webinar: From Judgments to Justice: Human Rights Bodies vs. Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists
On Monday, 3 November 2025, Media Defence held a case-driven conversation on how regional courts and UN mechanisms can help in reducing impunity for crimes against journalists – and why achieving strong legal precedents and their implementation remain both an important tool as well as an ongoing challenge. Litigating cases of violence against journalists is […]
Media Defence amicus filed at ECtHR in Georgia Foreign Agent Law case
Media Defence has filed a third-party intervention at the European Court of Human Rights (‘ECtHR’) in the case of Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association and Others v. Georgia. The case concerns a challenge to the Transparency on Foreign Influence Law which requires NGOs, print and broadcast media that receive a certain percentage of their annual income […]
Media Defence Submits Amicus Brief in Atresmedia v. Spain before the European Court of Human Rights
On 21 August 2025, Media Defence submitted an amicus curiae brief to the European Court of Human Rights in the case Atresmedia Corporación de Medios de Comunicación S.A. v. Spain (Application no. 29807/25). The case concerns the decision of the Spanish electoral authorities to prohibit Atresmedia, a private television broadcaster, from airing a political debate on its own […]
Protecting Democracy Without Silencing Dissent: Media Defence submits written observations to the IACHR
On June 23, Media Defence submitted its written observations to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in response to the request for an advisory opinion presented by the Republic of Guatemala on “Democracy and its Protection under the Inter-American System of Human Rights.” Media Defence addressed the essential role of freedom of expression in the […]
Media Defence files submissions at ECtHR in hate speech case against France
Media Defence has filed a third party intervention at the ECtHR in the case of Kabtane v France. The applicant in this case alleges a violation of his article 8 Convention rights because the author of the social media post containing alleged hate speech escaped a criminal conviction. Media Defence’s written comments address concerns about […]
Corte Suprema absuelve acusado de torturar de Claudia Julieta Duque y vacía de contenido los derechos de las víctimas
En una sentencia deficiente en el análisis probatorio y la conceptualización del delito de tortura psicológica, la Corte Suprema de Justicia absolvió a Ronal Harbey Rivera Rodríguez, exdetective del Grupo Especial de Inteligencia 3 (G-3) del DAS, procesado en el caso de la periodista Claudia Julieta Duque. Consideramos que esta decisión no es acorde a […]