In May 2010, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo published the 50-page report “Shrinking Public Space Governance and Freedom of Expression in Kosovo” (see link below) as a result of a six-month research effort where YIHR KS had raised concerns that the television was favoring a particular political party, specifically the PDK. The report raised many important issues and received numerous praises for bold research and thorough analysis of disturbing institutional phenomena during the first two years of Kosovo’s independence.
On June 25, 2010, Klan Kosova Television filed a lawsuit in court against YIHR KS, alleging that the report had damaged the image of the Television and demanded 285 thousand euros as compensation. It is worth noting that the media in question had failed to bring evidence that would prove that its reputation had been damaged after the publication of the research report.
Strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as SLAPP, seriously endanger and violate the right to freedom of expression. If the media in question were to win the battle, censorship of this freedom would be allowed and the role of civil society in addressing and raising concerns about the endangerment of democracy in the country would be greatly undermined.
We would like to thank the lawyer Merita Stublla-Emini, the author of the report Alex Anderson, all supporters of civil society, and especially Civil Rights Defenders and BIRN Kosovo, the Ombudsman Institution, as well as other international organizations and missions of different countries in Kosovo.
Solidarity and activism for the protection of human rights must be a common cause!
Link of the report – https://yihr-ks.org/…/Tkurrja-e-hapesires-publike1-1.pdf
