Back Judges and Lawyers from across North Macedonia strengthen capacities on freedom of expression and SLAPPs

Judges and Lawyers from across North Macedonia strengthen capacities on freedom of expression and SLAPPs

Freedom of expression remains a cornerstone of democratic societies, yet legal challenges such as defamation, insult, and Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) continue to pose significant risks to the public debate and accountability. To strengthen domestic responses to these challenges, a three-day training on freedom of expression, defamation, insult, and SLAPPs was held from 3 to 5 December 2025 in Ohrid, gathering 20 civil judges and lawyers from across North Macedonia.

The training builds on previous initiatives to address current challenges in protecting freedom of expression and fostering stronger co-operation between legal professionals to prevent such abusive lawsuits.

The training responds to the growing need for enhanced collaboration between judges and lawyers with journalists and media actors and provided a space for exchanges of practical experiences and perspectives in the fight against SLAPPs. The rising number of SLAPP cases - both in North Macedonia and the wider region - highlights the urgency of strengthening tools and responses to fight SLAPPs in line with European standards and Council of Europe recommendations.

Throughout the programme, participants took part in consultant-led discussions, practical group exercises, and analyses of real and hypothetical cases. The sessions provided a hands-on forum for applying European standards, including the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, within the domestic legal framework. Particular emphasis was placed on recognising abusive litigation, ensuring proportionate responses in defamation and insult proceedings, and safeguarding journalists and other public watchdogs from legal harassment that threatens public participation.

By working together in interactive sessions, judges and lawyers exchanged experiences, compared approaches, and built networks that will support more coherent and effective practices in their daily work. This collaboration is essential for ensuring that freedom of expression is protected consistently, in line with European standards. The training also raised awareness of recent developments in European jurisprudence, domestic legislation, and practical tools related to freedom of expression, defamation, insult, and SLAPPs.

The activity was organised by the Council of Europe under the project “Protecting Freedom of Expression and Media in North Macedonia (PRO-FREX)”, part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, in cooperation with the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors and the Bar Association.

Ohrid, North Macedonia 3-5 December 2025
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The action ‘Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in North Macedonia’ (PRO-FREX) enables the beneficiary institutions and civil society organisations in North Macedonia to progress towards meeting their reform agendas in the field of freedom of expression and freedom of media, in line with the European standards.

The action is implemented within the joint programme of the European Union and Council of Europe Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye running from 2023 to 2026 and aims to contribute to an improved environment for the exercise, in particular by journalists and media actors, of their rights of freedom of expression, in a more pluralistic and safer media environment, in line with the standards as set by Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

What are the goals and objectives of the action?

  • to promote freedom of expression and freedom of the media and to improve the application of European standards in the field.
  • to enhance the protection of journalists and contribute to the creation of an enabling, safer and more pluralistic media environment.
  • to strengthen the skills and knowledge of the actors who are responsible for applying the standards on freedom of expression as part of their daily work.

Who benefits from the action?

  • independent state bodies in the field of media regulation (the Agency for Audio and Audio-visual Media Services) and access to information and protection of information (the Agency for Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information and the Personal Data Protection Agency).

  • associations of journalists and media actors in North Macedonia.

  • professionals such as judges, prosecutors, police officers, lawyers, broadcasters, journalists, other media actors.
  • the people of North Macedonia.

How does the action work?

  • by providing legal advice to improve the alignment of legal and regulatory frameworks to the relevant European standards;
  • by providing research and policy support to institutions and civil society organisations in the field;
  • by raising awareness among duty bearers and rights holders of the relevant European standards;
  • by offering capacity-building for the various professional categories, anchored in the European standards and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR);
  • by facilitating regional dialogue and exchange of good practices, in synergy with the regional action.

What do we expect to achieve?

  • The legal framework will be improved and the judicial application of the European standards on freedom of expression, access to information, data protection and protection of journalists will be enhanced;
  • the Media Regulatory Authority, the Personal Data Protection Agency, the Agency for Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information, and the public broadcaster implement changes in their policies and practices in line with European standards;
  • Journalists’ safety will be strengthened in terms of addressing threats and attacks, as a result of the established domestic legal mechanisms to protect freedom of expression, in line with European standards.

What is the budget of the action?

  • The total budget of the action is 680,000 EUR
  • The budget allocated to the overall Horizontal Facility programme amounts to ca. 41 Million EUR (85% funded by the European Union, 15% by the Council of Europe).

How to get more information?

 

About Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye

The “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye 2023-2026” is a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe that enables the Western Balkans’ Beneficiaries and Türkiye to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law, and democracy and to comply with the European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.


 

PROJECT CONTACTS

Ana Funa                                     Project Assistant                        +389 2 3100 336                     contact