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Rule of law, media, and democracy in Italy and south-eastern Europe are the themes of the international conference organised in Rome on 17 October by OBC Transeuropa in collaboration with Heinrich Böll Stiftung Paris, France - Italy, the Italian National Press Federation, and the National Council of the Order of journalists as part of the European Media Freedom Rapid Response project

As part of the surveillance series, we interviewed Evita Papakiriakidou, criminal lawyer from the Athens Lawyers law firm, who represents Thanasis Koukakis, a Greek journalist who was the illegitimate target of spyware surveillance

Between 25 and 27 September 2023, OBCT and seven other international press freedom and freedom of expression organizations will conduct a joint advocacy and fact-finding mission to Athens. Following the parliamentary elections and nomination of the new government, the delegation will examine the challenges to media freedom, pluralism and independence in Greece and the impact of measures taken by the authorities to address them.

OBC Transeuropa and other media advocacy organisations sent a letter to the Cypriot authorities, amid the lack of adequate investigations into the alleged surveillance of journalist Makarios Drousiotis.

It could be the plot of a psychological thriller movie. It's the true story of a young investigative journalist, Stavros Malichudis, who unintentionally became one of the protagonists of the Greek Watergate. His reports, awarded with many international prizes, told the stories of refugees in Greece

While the European Parliament's Commission enquires on the various states where surveillance technologies have been commercialised despite the bans, the emphasis remains on civil society and digital security. Interview with Lorenzo Bagnoli of IrpiMedia

The world of journalism is mobilizing and launching yet another heartfelt appeal to the European Parliament to introduce, in the proposed European Media Freedom Law (EMFA) under discussion, a total ban on the use of spying software against journalists

In protest against the new Canadian law that requires social media to pay news organisations every time a user shares a link, Facebook has blocked access to news portals, earning the condemnation of Prime Minister Trudeau. In Europe, meanwhile, new regulations are on their way on the removal of content, advertising, and disinformation

OBCT joins 23 other civil society organizations to call for an end to Russian war crimes against journalists in Ukraine

For the Italian Press National Federation and trade associations, the crackdown on the dissemination of transcripts is a new attack on freedom of the press and citizens' right to be informed. Even MPs are in turmoil, worried that the "cyber interceptor" – aka trojan - will get out of the hands of its users