Journalists, judges, legal scholars and policymakers from Greece and European institutions will gather in Athens on May 29 to address one of the most contentious issues facing independent media across Europe: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, or SLAPPs.
The conference, organized by the Council of Europe and the Educational Foundation of the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers (ESIEA), comes amid growing concern over the use of legal proceedings aimed at discouraging investigative journalism and critical reporting through costly litigation and financial pressure.
SLAPP lawsuits have increasingly become a focal point in debates over media freedom worldwide. Press freedom organizations argue that such actions are often initiated not primarily to prevail in court, but to intimidate journalists, silence criticism and exhaust media organizations financially and professionally.
The issue has gained particular prominence in Greece, where journalists involved in investigative reporting have faced lawsuits linked to stories concerning matters of public interest.
The Athens event will bring together senior representatives from the judiciary, government, legal profession and European institutions to discuss the evolving European response to the phenomenon and the implications for Greek legislation.
Opening remarks will be delivered by Maria Antoniadou, President of ESIEA; Christina Tsagli, Vice President of the Athens Bar Association; Ioannis Bougas, Greece’s Deputy Minister of Justice; and Dimitris Kirmikiroglou, Secretary General for Communication and Information. Charalambos Sevastidis, First Vice President of the Union of Judges and Prosecutors, is also expected to attend.
The first session, dedicated to European developments, will focus on the legal framework emerging at the continental level.
Yiannis Ktistakis, President of the Third Section of the European Court of Human Rights and Associate Professor of Public International Law at the Democritus University of Thrace, will examine the court’s jurisprudence and its role in protecting freedom of expression.
Evangelos Nikolaou, Judge at the Court of First Instance and Doctor of Law, will discuss the European Union legal framework surrounding anti-SLAPP measures.
The Council of Europe’s perspective will be presented by Evangelia Vasalou, Project Officer in the Freedom of Expression Cooperation Division, who will address Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)2 of the Committee of Ministers concerning the fight against SLAPPs, alongside broader initiatives being developed by the organization.
Attention will then shift to Greece’s domestic response and the challenges surrounding implementation.
Antonis Karampatzos, Professor of Civil Law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, will discuss contemporary pressures on press freedom and the legal challenges facing independent journalism.
Christina Vrettou, member of the European Commission’s Expert Group on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, will analyze the incorporation of Directive (EU) 2024/1069 into Greek law and the policy choices facing lawmakers.
The conference will also address the emergence of so-called “eco-SLAPPs,” lawsuits targeting environmental reporting and activism. The issue will be examined by Katerina Noumta, Programmes and Communications Officer at the Hellenic League for Human Rights, together with Iasonas Gousetis, the organization’s Programmes and Development Officer.
The Journalists’ Union of Athens has repeatedly argued that Greece should move beyond the EU directive’s focus on cross-border disputes and extend anti-SLAPP protections to domestic legal proceedings as well.
For organizers, the debate extends beyond legal technicalities. The event reflects wider concerns over democratic resilience, the ability of journalists to investigate public-interest issues without intimidation, and the future of media freedom in Europe.
The conference will take place at ESIEA headquarters in central Athens and will be available through livestream for international audiences.
