Logo of the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe

European SLAPP Contest calls out worst legal bullies

Screenshot of the European SLAPP Contest 2021 logo

If there are two things that Europe does well, it’s cheesy pop music… and SLAPPs. 

Across Europe, the rich and powerful are increasingly turning to abusive lawsuits – also known as SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) – as a means of silencing critical speech.

To mark SLAPPs’ meteoric rise in popularity, the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE)  launched the European SLAPP Contest, aiming to give some much deserved recognition to some of the continent’s worst legal bullies.

With all of the glitz and glamour of Eurovision – but with legal bullies instead of dance numbers – the inaugural European SLAPP Contest unveiled its list of winners  on Friday 21 May, the day before the Eurovision Song Contest, in a parody awards ceremony on the CASE website.

CASE is a diverse coalition of advocacy groups – including the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Reporters Without Borders, the European Federation of Journalists, Greenpeace EU and Transparency International – that aims to draw attention to the growing use of SLAPPs by powerful private interests to attack our democracies, ahead of the announcement of the European Commission’s anti-SLAPP measures this autumn.

Winners were selected from Poland and Croatia and the full list of nominees for each award is available here in the press pack. The awards were accepted on behalf of the winners by the targets of the SLAPPs profiled.  

Logo of the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe

Read news by categories:

Related news

Statement

Turkey: Media Freedom organisations call for action as press freedom violations surge in Turkey in 2025

READ MORE
Feature

Ukraine: Media organisations call upon President Zelensky to sign bill allowing journalist access to parliamentary committee sessions

ECPMF urges President Zelensky to sign Draft Law 11321, ensuring greater transparency and access to parliamentary committee sessions for journalists and civil society in Ukraine.

READ MORE
ECPMF

Georgia: Press freedom partners call for release of Mzia Amaglobeli, end to crackdown on free press

Press freedom organisations demand the release of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli and an end to the crackdown on media. Amaglobeli faces unjust charges and alleged mistreatment.

READ MORE
Feature

EU must not yield in protecting free speech and discriminated groups

Discover why regulating Meta and other BigTech giants is essential to safeguard free speech and protect vulnerable communities in the EU.

READ MORE
ECPMF

Open letter to Mr. Albin Kurti, President of Vetevendosje Movement and Prime Minister of Kosovo

Media freedom groups call on Kosovo’s PM Albin Kurti to reverse his party’s boycott of T7, TV Dukagjini, and Klan Kosova. Public accountability and media freedom must be upheld during elections.

READ MORE
ECPMF

Press freedom groups in solidarity with journalists and media in Georgia

International press freedom groups express solidarity with Georgian journalists amid escalating violence and attacks on independent media during Tbilisi protests.

READ MORE