Journalists, researchers, policymakers and representatives of international organisations gathered in Belgrade to tackle growing threats to freedom of expression in the Western Balkans and beyond. The two-day conference provided a platform to share experiences, develop solutions, and strengthen safeguards for independent journalism.

Opening the conference, the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade Janos Babity highlighted that the safety of journalists is not a sectoral issue, but a democratic imperative.

“By protecting free media, we protect the rights of all citizens. This conference gives us the opportunity to understand the challenges together, listen to journalists on the ground, and translate standards into solutions,” Babity said.

A dedicated panel on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) brought together legal experts to examine legal responses and European standards. Discussions analysed the Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)2 on countering SLAPPs, and experience of SLAPP victims, judges and journalists with such cases.

The Conference was co-organised with the SafeJournalist Network through the action “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Serbia (PROFREX)”, implemented by the Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression under the joint European Union and the Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.