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Amendments to Albania’s Criminal Code must be strengthened to…

Amendments to Albania’s Criminal Code must be strengthened to ensure full decriminalisation of defamation

The undersigned organisations of the SafeJournalists Network, partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) today stress that recent amendments to Albania’s Criminal Code, though positive, must be strengthened to ensure full decriminalisation of defamation.

27.01.2026

Our organisations welcome the amendments to Albania’s Criminal Code approved on 21 January 2026 by the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs and Public Administration, which if passed into law would represent important steps forward in improving the climate for media freedom, journalists’ safety and freedom of expression.

 

These amendments reflect a clear political intent to move away from the criminalisation of defamation as part of the European accession process, acknowledging that public-interest reporting carried out in good faith should not be subject to criminal punishment. We also specifically welcome the strengthening of criminal protection against violence and serious threats targeting journalists because of their professional duties, notably through amendments of the Articles 237 and 238 of the Criminal Code, which address long-standing concerns related to journalists’ safety and the state’s positive obligations under European human rights law.

 

At the same time, European standards make clear that partial or status-based approaches to decriminalisation of defamation are insufficient to protect freedom of expression effectively. As long as defamation remains a criminal offence, it produces chilling effects on journalists, civil society actors, activists, whistleblowers, and other public watchdogs. For this reason, full decriminalisation of defamation and insult remains the only acceptable outcome to  ensure durable alignment with European standards and to safeguard public-interest expression in Albania.

 

Against this background, we note that the newly adopted amendments do not yet achieve this objective. The current text introduces a limited, status-based exemption from criminal liability, applicable only to journalists described as “registered and recognised” and only in relation to defamation, while insult remains a criminal offence. This approach raises concerns regarding legal certainty, equal protection of freedom of expression, and the continued chilling effect of criminal law on public debate.

 

In particular, limiting protection to a narrowly defined professional category risks excluding other public-interest speakers, including civil society organisations, activists, researchers, whistleblowers, and citizens, who play a vital role in democratic discourse. Moreover, references to “registered and recognised” journalists are problematic in a context where Albania has no formal system for journalist registration and where such mechanisms would be incompatible with European standards on media freedom and independence.

 

We also note that retaining parallel criminal offences, such as insult, undermines the effectiveness of partial reforms by allowing critical expression to be prosecuted under alternative provisions, thereby maintaining the pressure of criminal law on speech.

 

In light of the above, we encourage the Albanian authorities to build on the positive steps already taken and to pursue full decriminalisation of defamation and insult, in line with European and international standards, and ensure that protection of expression is function-based and linked to public interest and good faith, rather than to professional or status-based criteria.

 

Such an approach would consolidate the progress made so far and ensure that Albania’s legal framework genuinely protects freedom of expression as a cornerstone of democratic society and the rule of law.

 

We reiterate our commitment to supporting Albanian institutions in improving legislation concerning media freedom and freedom of expression. We support the joint declaration of Albanian civil society organisations and their continued engagement to improve the legal framework for freedom of expression.

Signed by:

Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) Partners 

  • European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
  • Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
  • European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
  • ARTICLE 19 Europe
  • International Press Institute (IPI)

 

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

 

SafeJournalists Network 

 

  • Association of BH journalists
  • Association of Journalists of Kosovo
  • Association of Macedonian Journalists
  • Croatian Journalists’ Association
  • Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
  • Trade Union of Media of Montenegro

Reporting Diversity Network

This statement was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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EU: MFRR contributes to European Union annual Rule of…

EU: MFRR contributes to European Union annual Rule of Law report

MFRR partners share a statement condemning the threats and attacks against journalists and media workers when covering demonstrations and protests in Germany, France, Slovenia, Greece, Spain, Poland and Italy. The MFRR calls for increased protection for media freedom across Europe from protestors, unknown 3rd parties and police officers to ensure they are free to continue their work informing the public.

27.01.2026

MFRR organisations provided submissions on 15 EU Member States and candidate countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and Spain.

 

Submissions on media freedom and pluralism provided updates about implementation and lack thereof of recommendations from the 2025 Rule of Law report, new legislative or regulatory developments, as well as cases of attacks and threats against journalists and media.

 

In the year that the EU’s European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) came into full force, the submissions provided detailed updates on the mixed picture for the implementation of the EU regulation across the bloc.

 

Data was provided from the MFRR’s Mapping Media Freedom (MapMF) platform, which is the largest public database of violations of press and media freedom in Europe. MapMF recorded 1481 press freedom violations affecting 2377 journalists and other media professionals across the European Union member states and candidate countries during 2025.

 

Submissions for the report also provided key information gathered by MFRR partner organisations during fact-finding and advocacy missions to EU countries throughout the past year. Information was also provided on cases of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), as part of MFRR partner’s regular monitoring.

 

Ahead of the preparation of the annual report, MFRR partners again call for the report to include significantly strengthened and more detailed recommendations for reform in country chapters, especially those facing systemic attacks on media freedom and pluralism, with recommendations tied to strong enforcement mechanisms in case of non-implementation.

 

Our organisations again stress that the findings of the report must act as the foundation for sustained action to safeguard EU values and push for strong implementation of the European Media Freedom Act, and feed into the development of the European Democracy Shield. Submissions by MFRR partners will be published and publicly available on the report website.

This rule of law submission was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries. Submissions were coordinated under the MFRR but submitted by individual consortium partners.

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Public letter: Bosnian public broadcaster BHRT requires urgent action…

Public letter: Bosnian public broadcaster BHRT requires urgent action from Office of High Representative

Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners have voiced serious concern today in a public letter to the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, over the lack of political action on the future of the state broadcaster, Radio-Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT). We called on him to use his legal authority to secure a viable solution amid the continued absence of institutional response and political will within Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions.

21.01.2026

Dear High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr Christian Schmidt,

 

The undersigned media freedom and journalist organisations from across Europe are writing to you today to express our consternation regarding the absence of political action regarding the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s state-level broadcaster, Radio-Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT). With this letter, we urge you to take action and use your legal powers to find a viable solution in the absence of institutional response and political will within the BiH institutions.

 

We are aware that for years, BHRT has been facing serious financial challenges due to a deep institutional crisis and debts primarily incurred by entity-level broadcaster RTRS, which has brought the national public broadcaster to the brink of collapse. Politicians have openly disregarded the law, resulting in only minimal funds reaching BHRT, against a backdrop of inter-entity funding disputes.

 

According to BHRT staff, the situation has now reached a point where accounts will be frozen and where employees work with the constant fear of not receiving their minimum salaries and of losing their job in a couple of months.

 

The undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) support demands by the Independent Union of Workers at BHRT in calling on you to use your mandate and Bonn powers to end the agony of the public service media. 

 

Previous calls by the MFRR to national authorities and EU institutions to engage in remedying the situation have not yielded results, which is why we now call on you, as High Representative, to act.

 

Having in mind that the procedures are being obstructed and blocked at the Ministerial and Parliamentary levels, leaving little space for a legitimate action on a national level, we urge you to take the initiative and put an end to this untenable situation for BHRT workers and citizens alike. The situation requires immediate solutions, and you can use your Bonn powers to provide a much-needed temporary co-financing to preserve what is left of independent public broadcasting service on a national level.

 

A public service media is not only a media or an institution: it is a cornerstone of a democratic society. With general elections scheduled in October 2026, the disappearance of BHRT would mean the loss of an important source of reliable information at a critical moment for voters and would further deteriorate the country’s media space, leaving it vulnerable to potential foreign influences through controlled media.

 

The undersigned organisations reiterate their solidarity with BHRT journalists and media workers who keep informing Bosnian citizens despite the dramatic conditions they work in. We join them in urging immediate action to save the public broadcaster and ultimately protect the interests of Bosnian citizens in their access to independent, pluralistic and reliable information.

Signed by:

  • European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
  • European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
  • International Press Institute (IPI)
  • Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
  • Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
  • ARTICLE 19 Europe

This statement was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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IPI condemns arrest of journalist Nedim Oruç, calls for…

IPI condemns arrest of journalist Nedim Oruç, calls for his immediate release

The International Press Institute (IPI) strongly condemns the arrest and arbitrary detention of journalist Nedim Oruç on terrorism-related charges and calls on Turkish authorities to release him immediately with all charges dropped.

21.01.2026

On January 14, 2026, Nedim Oruç, a reporter for Turkey-based Kurdish news agency Ajansa Welat, was detained by police in Şırnak’s Cizre neighborhood while covering a demonstration concerning alleged human rights violations in Aleppo, Syria. According to several reports and video footage, Oruç was subjected to physical violence by security forces during the police crackdown.

 

Following his detention, Oruç’s custody period was extended twice by the prosecutor’s office, his professional equipment was seized, and his access to legal counsel was restricted for 24 hours.

 

Oruç’s lawyer told IPI that authorities initially refused to provide clear information about Oruç’s whereabouts and later denied access to his client without a formal judicial order. Turkey’s Criminal Procedure Code states that such restrictions are only valid once formally ordered and last for 24 hours. A confidentiality order was then issued on the case file, further undermining judicial transparency and Oruç’s right to a fair defense.

 

Despite the fact that Oruç was detained while covering a demonstration, the authorities that interrogated him were reportedly unconcerned with the events he was covering that day. Instead, they cited his past reports on the outlawed Kurdish Workers’ Party’s (PKK) disarmament calls and regional issues as evidence of criminal wrongdoing. This disconnect raises concerns that the case against him is in retaliation to his long-standing journalistic work.

 

Following his interrogation and referral to the Criminal Court of Peace in Şırnak, Oruç was formally remanded in custody on “terror propaganda” charges. According to his lawyer, the court justified the pretrial detention by referring to the severity of the charge, which carries a maximum penalty of five years.

 

“Nedim Oruç’s detention is a typical case in which journalistic activity is being manipulated and treated as a crime,” said Resul Temur, Oruç’s lawyer, speaking to IPI.

 

This is not the first time Oruç has faced such judicial harassment. He was previously arrested in 2016 on the same charges and was released later that year.

 

IPI stands in solidarity with Oruç and all journalists whose professional work is criminalised in Turkey. The use of anti-terror laws to target journalists remains a persistent threat to critical media. We urge authorities to end the practice of arbitrary detentions of journalists and ensure that media workers can operate without fear of reprisal.

This statement was coordinated by IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

Emilia Șercan | Culisele operațiunii „Kompromat” - Interviu cu Emilia Șercan | YouTube/HotNews Romania Library

Romania: IPI calls for impartial investigation as coordinated smear…

Romania: IPI calls for impartial investigation as coordinated smear campaign targets journalist Emilia Șercan

The International Press Institute (IPI) today condemns the online smears, harassment and death threats targeting IPI member and prominent Romanian investigative journalist Emilia Șercan following her reporting on alleged plagiarism in Justice Minister Radu Marinescu’s PhD thesis. IPI stands in full solidarity with Șercan and calls for a swift police investigation into all serious threats made against her safety.

16.01.2026

On January 12, Șercan published an article for Romanian media outlet PressOne alleging that more than half of the PhD thesis of Romania’s Minister of Justice, Radu Marinescu, contained plagiarised content. Following the publication, Marinescu rejected the article’s findings and questioned the timing and motives behind the reporting.

The Minister’s statements were then echoed by politicians, media outlets, journalists, and online influencers. The ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) issued a public statement personally attacking Șercan, falsley claiming the investigation was a politically motivated attempt to remove the minister.

Șercan, a well known journalist, then reported receiving hundreds of messages involving intimidation, discreditation, and direct death threats on social media. In response to this wave of harassment, she announced that she would again take legal action against the television channel România TV, accusing its reporters of publicly harassing her in retaliation for her reporting.

Șercan has been repeatedly subjected to smear and discreditation campaigns, including a kompromat-style attack. In 2022, she faced similar targeting after exposing the allegedly plagiarised doctoral thesis of the then Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă .

IPI has consistently advocated for justice in Șercan’s case, raising concerns about Sercan’s professional and procedural rights being violated, including prosecutorial proceedings being  handled erroneously and lacking objectivity.

IPI calls on the authorities in Romania to conduct a swift and impartial investigation into any serious threats made against Șercan’s safety, in what appears to be a coordinated campaign aimed at discrediting the journalist. We further urge the ruling Social Democratic Party and its leaders to refrain from personally attacking journalists and from inciting hateful rhetoric against members of the press.

IPI filed an alert on this case to the Mapping Media Freedom platform and will report the case to the Council of Europe’s Platform for the safety of journalists, which will seek confirmation from Romanian authorities about steps taken by law enforcement to address the threats.

  • In 2025, IPI documented 33 press freedom violations to the Mapping Media Freedom (MMF) database, which affected 55 journalists and media entities, including 16 cases of serious verbal attacks and smear campaigns against the press.

This statement was coordinated by IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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Slovakia: IPI condemns violent attack on prominent media commentator

Slovakia: IPI condemns violent attack on prominent media commentator

The International Press Institute (IPI) today unequivocally condemns the recent physical attack against well-known Slovak media commentator Peter Schutz, who was hospitalised and underwent surgery for a fractured femur after the violent assault in Košice.

13.01.2026

In the wake of the attack on 10 January, IPI calls on law enforcement authorities to swiftly establish the facts of the attack, utilise security camera footage to identify the suspected perpetrator and clarify whether the motive was linked to Schutz’s media work.

 

IPI also raises concern over the problematic response of some government officials, particularly the Minister of Interior Matúš Šutaj Eštok, who rather than simply denounce the event as an outright attack on a journalist, added comments which normalise or risk justifying violence against members of the press. We call on those elected officials to withdraw problematic elements from their online statements.

 

In a country scarred by the 2018 murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his partner, any physical violence against journalists in Slovakia should be immediately and unequivocally condemned by leading government figures, regardless of the victim’s political opinions.

 

Schutz, 70, has been a leading comment writer for the daily newspaper SME for decades and has also appeared on political talk shows. He has long provided commentary on political and social developments and has been strongly critical of the current government.

 

According to SME and media reports, Schutz was attacked by an unidentified assailant in the public restroom of a shopping mall in Košice, in eastern Slovakia, where he was struck on the head from behind and fell, fracturing a femur that required surgery. Schutz was later found by a passer-by. Police have opened an investigation.

 

IPI has reported the attack to the Council of Europe’s platform for the safety of journalists and has been in contact with the Slovak journalist safety platform and SME. We have also documented the case on the Mapping Media Freedom platform of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), Europe’s largest database for press freedom violations.

 

In 2025, IPI monitoring documented 29 violations of media freedom in Slovakia. While this included serious verbal threats against journalists’ safety and a number of denigrating comments against media actors by political figures, there were no documented cases of serious physical assaults on journalists, which remain rare in Slovakia.

This statement was coordinated by IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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Czechia: Media freedom groups urge Czechia’s government to uphold…

Czechia: Media freedom groups urge Czechia’s government to uphold public media’s independence

As Czechia’s new government prepares to reshape the funding and governance of its public broadcasters, press freedom groups caution that replacing the licence fee with state budget funding would expose ČT and ČRo to political pressure and weaken the editorial independence guaranteed under EU law.

12.01.2026

12 January 2026

 

Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

Oto Klempíř, Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic

 

SUBJECT: Future of public media in Czechia

 

Dear Prime Minister Babiš and Minister of Culture Klempíř, 

 

Ahead of this week’s parliamentary vote on your new government’s programme, which includes the provision to abolish the licence fee that funds Czechia’s public media, we, the undersigned national and international press freedom organisations, urge you to uphold the secure and viable funding of Czechia’s public media system, and refrain from implementing major overhauls which would undermine the organisations’ independence and the trust that audiences place in them.

 

Independent public service media are an essential cornerstone of democracies worldwide, producing impartial and accurate fact-based news and information, fostering an informed citizenry, and providing a universal service to all audiences.

 

Article 5 of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), in full force since August 2025, requires the European Union Member States including Czechia to “ensure that public service media providers are editorially and functionally independent and provide in an impartial manner a plurality of information and opinions to their audiences.” EMFA also obliges states to ensure public media have “adequate, sustainable and predictable financial resources”.

 

Despite the commitment to “preserve [the] independence” of the public service media expressed in the government’s programme, our organisations are concerned about the specific measures in the manifesto as well as by proposals put forward by some parties within your government ahead of the election.The following measures have the potential to undermine the independence of the Czech public media: 

 

  • Replacing the licence fee with direct state budget funding;
  • Including Czech public media in the competence of the Supreme Audit Office.

 

Regarding the proposal to replace the licence fee, we note there are different positions within the government on this issue. We believe that transitioning from a licence fee funding model to one directly linked to the state budget increases the capacity for a government to exert financial pressure on public media, and use funding as a way of threatening the organisation’s output.

 

Although many independent public broadcasters are funded via this mechanism, there must be clear and effective guardrails in place which maintain their independence from government. EMFA Article 5 stipulates that “funding procedures for public service media providers are based on transparent and objective criteria laid down in advance. … Those financial resources shall be such that the editorial independence of public service media providers is safeguarded.”

 

Additionally, we are concerned that changing the funding model would undo the long-overdue funding increase that passed in 2025. It was the first funding increase in two decades for ČRo and 17 years for ČT. In an era marred by increased disinformation and geopolitical instability, public media needs to be properly financed to deliver the level of services that audiences expect and need. Lack of adequate funding results in declining services and contributes to a greater struggle for relevance.

 

While there is a political consensus on the legitimate proposal of your government to include the Czech public media in the competence of the Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ), we are concerned that a financial audit could be abused to exert political pressures on the broadcasters. We urge you to ensure that any financial audit is transparent, and isn’t instrumentalised to decrease public media’s budget, as has happened in Lithuania.

 

Overall, reforming public media can have serious implications. In Slovakia, the overhaul of RTVS – now named STVR – has seen greater direct government control in the governance affairs of the company. It led to the firing of the director general, and the disbandment of the board. In 2025, a close government ally was elected to the position of director general by the new board in a closed-door vote. However, the EMFA requires that the processes for appointing and dismissing heads of management or management boards guarantee public media’s independence.

 

ČT and ČRo retain the highest levels of trust amongst Czech citizens across all media companies and are a model for public service media in the region. We believe the proposed reforms, without strong and robust safeguards for editorial and organisational independence, pose clear risks.

 

Our organisations urge your new administration to uphold the independence of public media, to retain its current level of funding, and allow ČT and ČRo to flourish in their distribution of independent, fact-based news and information. We urge you to respect the essential pillars of public media as stipulated in EMFA.

Signed by:

  • Public Media Alliance (PMA)
  • International Press Institute (IPI)
  • Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
  • Free Press Unlimited (FPU) 
  • European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
  • European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
  • Lobbio
  • Hlídač státu
  • Syndicate of Journalists of Czech Republic
  • OBC Transeuropa

This statement was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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Lithuania: IPI warns over increasing pressure on independent public…

Lithuania: IPI warns over increasing pressure on independent public service broadcasting

Independent public service broadcasting in Lithuania is under increasing threat after the recent passing of a rushed legislative amendment which makes it easier to remove the director general of Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), IPI warns today.

17.12.2025

IPI is increasingly concerned by the situation in Lithuania and calls on the European Commission to assess and comment publicly on the proposed changes to LRT law and their potential violations of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), ahead of the next vote.

 

Despite large public protests and against the warnings of international media freedom organisations, including IPI and MFRR partners, last week the parliament passed the first stage of a bill amending the LRT Law, which was brought forward by the ruling Nemunas Dawn party.

 

IPI warns that the proposed amendment, which lowers the threshold for voting to dismiss the director general, introduces a secret ballot for the procedure and removes the need for the removal to be justified by the public interest, would erode important defences against political pressure on LRT’s management.

 

It comes after a politically-motivated audit of LRT initiated by political parties. Although the audit found no major issues regarding LRT’s independence and operations, the ruling coalition instrumentalized the findings to push through changes to rules on the broadcaster’s management and financing.

 

The passing of the bill comes after the Seimas recently adopted an amendment to freeze LRT’s budget at 2025 levels until 2029, with the prospect of reducing its tax-based revenues thereafter. The budget change was disproportionate when compared to other cuts to the state budget.

 

The two initiatives combined point to increasing pressure on LRT in the wake of the audit and potentially undermine the country’s obligations under the EMFA – which sets out clear rules for the independent management and sustainable financing of public service media inside the bloc.

 

Article 5 of EMFA directly obliges Member States to ensure that procedures for the appointment and dismissal of PSM leadership “aim to guarantee the independence of the public service media” and, crucially, are transparent. The introduction of a secret ballot clearly violates this provision.

 

The staff of LRT went on strike on December 9 to protest against the changes, which they warn would “dismantle the safeguards that protect LRT’s independence.” The Lithuanian President has also raised concerns about the amendment and its impact on media freedom.

 

The bill was first debated by the Seimas on 27 November. A slightly altered version was passed in a first vote on December 11 in an urgent parliamentary procedure. This removed the possibility of conducting an impact assessment. The law has yet to be finally approved.

 

IPI and partner organisations have repeatedly raised concerns about the changes at LRT, which we stress now risk undermining Lithuania’s otherwise relatively healthy press freedom climate.

This statement was coordinated by IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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Slovenia: Information Commissioner should cease procedure against investigative newsroom…

Slovenia: Information Commissioner should cease procedure against investigative newsroom Oštro

The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Slovene Association of Journalists (DNS) today sent a letter to the Information Commissioner of the Republic of Slovenia in regard to the ongoing inspection procedure against IPI member investigative newsroom Oštro.

17.12.2025

The inspection  concerns the processing of personal data in the media outlet’s investigative and data journalism project, Asset Detector. Our organisations call on the Commissioner to review the process and discontinue this procedure, stressing that media should be able to carry out watchdog investigative reporting, including data-driven journalism, without facing unnecessary pressure.

The letter is published in full below.

Dr. Jelena Virant Burnik

Information Commissioner of the Republic of Slovenia

Dunajska cesta 22; SI-1000 Ljubljana

 

12 December 2025 

Dear Dr. Jelena Virant Burnik,

 

We are writing to you on behalf of the International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, and Slovene Association of Journalists (DNS) in regard to the ongoing inspection procedure against Oštro, Slovenia’s prominent investigative media organisation and a member of IPI.

 

Following communication with Oštro, it has come to our attention that the office of the Information Commissioner of the Republic of Slovenia recently opened a procedure against Oštro concerning the processing of personal data in the media outlet’s investigative and data journalism project, Asset Detector.

 

After carefully assessing its arguments and its potential impact on media freedom and investigative journalism in Slovenia, our organisation respectfully calls on you to review the process and discontinue this procedure.

 

Several GDPR articles were cited in the original request from the Information Commissioner as the legal basis, requesting from Oštro to provide information about its processing of personal data. These included Article 6 GDPR (lawfulness of processing), Articles 12–14 GDPR (informing data subjects), and Articles 15–22 GDPR (rights of data subjects, such as access, rectification, and erasure).

 

Any application of such GDPR provisions must be considered in the light of the nature of investigative journalism. Both Slovenian law and EU law recognize that journalists and media outlets are entitled to process personal data in the exercise of freedom of expression and for reporting on matters of public interest. The GDPR itself allows Member States to provide exemptions for journalistic purposes (Article 85), meaning that the obligations applicable to ordinary data controllers do not automatically apply to media organizations like Oštro.

 

Investigative and data journalism projects, such as the Asset Detector, that promote transparency and accountability, clearly serve the public interest and are vital for a functioning democracy. As noted by Oštro in its response to the Information Commissioner’s request, this form of data journalism, including the collection and analysis of datasets, is a common form of journalism in the digital age and is standard worldwide.

 

Especially noteworthy in this case is that Oštro anonymised the personal data of the named officials’ family members for publication, ensuring their privacy and the inability to connect the published data to individuals. The data was presented cumulatively as “family members’ assets” to avoid exposing them and disclosing them to the public. All published data was collected from public sources.

 

Oštro also has clearly defined reporting rules that are always accessible to the public. This includes a detailed description of how it obtains, verifies and updates data on its website. In all cases, including this one, the media outlet always directly contacts the public official concerned before publishing the data.

 

We further note that IPI also recently expressed our concern about the complaint the Ljutomer municipality recently submitted to the Specialised State Prosecutor’s Office regarding Oštro and  have documented this complaint as a threat to media freedom in an alert published on our monitoring platform Mapping Media Freedom. An alert has also been published on the Council of Europe’s Platform for safety of journalists. IPI has also reached out to the Ljutomer municipality with a letter urging the authority to review their complaint.

 

We note finally that Oštro is a highly professional and respected media outlet which has a long track record of high-profile investigations, and collaboration on major global investigative projects. We therefore reiterate our call to discontinue the GDPR procedure against Oštro. Media outlets must be able to carry out watchdog investigative reporting, including data-driven journalism, without facing unnecessary pressure.

 

We remain open to further communication with you on this important matter.

 

Thank you for your consideration.

 

Sincerely,

 

International Press Institute (IPI)

 

Slovene Association of Journalists (DNS)

This letter was produced by IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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Poland: Media Capture and EMFA Monitoring Report 2025

Poland: Media Capture and EMFA Monitoring Report 2025

The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) today publish a new report examining media capture in Poland in 2025 and the country’s compliance with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

16.12.2025

The report – the eighth in a new series of Media Capture Monitoring Reports for 2025 – reviews developments regarding media capture and control in Poland over the past year and assesses the country’s compliance with EMFA since the EU Commission’s regulation entered into full force in August 2025.

Download the Report

It concludes that EMFA has not yet been incorporated into Poland’s national media legislation. Following the October 2023 elections which raised hopes for the re-democratisation of public service media, a fairer distribution of state advertising, and stronger measures to promote media plurality, the current coalition government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk has still not advanced with the amendment to the media law that would align national regulation with EMFA’s key principles.

 

Facing the obstacle of a presidential veto, much of the government’s overall media reform agenda has stalled or been limited, undermining broader media freedom progress.

 

Examining these issues in detail, the report provides recommendations on a variety of measures and policies necessary to address media capture in Poland and create a free, pluralistic and democratic media ecosystem, in line with EMFA provisions

 

This report is part of a broader series covering seven other EU countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.

 

IPI and MJRC will also publish an overview report, summarising major developments across the EU in the past year.

 

These reports are intended as a vital resource for media rights organizations, civil society groups, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to monitoring and fostering media freedom across the EU.

Download the Report
EXPLORE THE METHODOLOGY
For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
  • Jamie Wiseman, Senior Europe Advocacy Officer – IPI, jwiseman@ipi.media
  • Marius Dragomir, Project Editor – MJRC, mdragomir@journalismresearch.org

This report was coordinated by IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.