State of SLAPPs in Serbia – Country Report

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    In this report, ARTICLE 19, the American Bar Association (ABA) Center for Human Rights,
    and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) examine the state of
    strategic litigation against public participation (SLAPPs) in Serbia. SLAPPs are a form of
    legal harassment against critical voices, pursued by powerful individuals and organisations
    who seek to avoid public scrutiny. Their aim is to drain the target’s financial and
    psychological resources and chill critical voices to the detriment of public participation.

    Since SLAPPs are often enabled by problematic defamation laws, the report reviews in
    detail how the Serbian law and judicial practice on protection of reputation complies with
    international standards on freedom of expression. It also examines how these standards
    are applied in practice against those who report on and criticise those in power in Serbia.