You may by now have heard the term “SLAPP” — Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation — after it has made the news frequently in the past year.
Last month, a vocal activist from Deçan, Shpresa Loshaj, was sued by the hydropower company KelKos for statements she has made publicly about the company’s operations in the Deçan valley. It comes less than a year after another activist was sued for a similar reason in July 2020.
Both are accused of defamation, but activists and civil society organizations have said these cases are a blatant attempt to intimidate activists and journalists who speak up against big power and are a threat to freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
Why are these cases considered strategic, and how are they different from any other defamation case? Don’t companies have the right to use the tools of the justice system? How can SLAPPs contribute to removing the space for journalists and activists? And what can be done about them?
To learn more about all of this and more, listen to our latest episode of Konteksti moderated by our editor at large, Cristina Marí. Helping to set out the ABC of SLAPPS are media lawyer and legal adviser of the European Center for Press and Media Freedom, Flutura Kusari, and director of Levizja FOL, Megi Demolli. K
Author: Cristina Marí / K2.0.
Guests:
- Flutura Kusari, media lawyer and legal adviser of the European Center for Press and Media Freedom
- Megi Demolli, director of Levizja FOL.
Sound mixing: Studio 11
Feature image: Atdhe Mulla / K2.0
Production: Dibran Sejdiu / K2.0
This podcast was produced as part of the project ‘’Citizens – engage!’’ with the financial support of the European Union Office in Kosovo and implemented by Kosovo 2.0 in partnership with GAP Institute. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Kosovo 2.0 and GAP Institute and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
