@bg_helsinki in #Bulgaria, @CMSZagreb in #Croatia, @tasz_hu in #Hungary & @HFHRpl in #Poland find heavy government interference: interfering with media ownership, selectively funding friendly outlets, obstructing investigative journalism, abusive lawsuits & smear campaigns./2
@tasz_hu research shows serious intimidation of independent media in #Hungary, including through Orban's new #EnablingLaw introduced under cover of #COVID19 https://bit.ly/3crCtSB . @NJCM_nl in #Netherlands warns of likely chilling effect of proposal on counterterrorism. /3
In #Poland, @HFHRpl notes that defamation lawsuits against media doubled between 2014-2018, many filed by state-controlled bodies. Other laws are misused to limit freedom of expression such as hate speech rules in #Croatia @CMSZagreb & counterterrorism law in #Spain @ris_org. /4
@bg_helsinki in #Bulgaria, @CMSZagreb in #Croatia, @AntigoneOnlus & @Cild2014 in #Italy & @HFHRpl in #Poland report attacks on journalists. Governments doing little to provide protection. In #Netherlands @NJCM_nl notes gov is taking steps to increase journalists’ safety./5
Severe restrictions on access to information for journalists & rights & democracy groups. #Hungary government obstructs systematically @tasz_hu. Issues also reported in #Croatia @CMSZagreb, #Italy @AntigoneOnlus & @Cild2014, #Poland @HFHRpl and #Spain @ris_org./6
If government controls public broadcaster, journalists are afraid of lawsuits or attacks & there is no access to public information, expect free & independent media to disappear. Here are some ideas from @LibertiesEU on what #EU can do to save free media & our democracies./7
1) Provide real support for balanced and high-quality private media across #EU
2) Prevent & sanction misuse of EU rules on incitement to terrorism & hate speech
3) Enforce EU laws that can protect media pluralism such as competition & whistle-blowers protection rules/8
@EU_Commission should include recommendations in its #RuleOfLaw report to make clear to govts what it expects them to do to address problems. Coming tomorrow >> we set out increasing restrictions on rights & democracy groups & how the EU could help [END]
Thread by @linda_ravo
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