socialmedian: Network set up to support lawyers defending journalists

User-submitted headlines for this story

Clips

Network set up to support lawyers defending journalists

Source: The Guardian

Nov 09, 2009

Summary

The Media Legal Defence Initiative, launched last week, aims to help journalists around the world by providing lawyers willing to fight for media freedoms

A new organisation is to work to create legal support for journalists facing "huge risks" in countries with oppressive laws that threaten press freedom.

The Media Legal Defence Initiative, launched last week by a network of lawyers and journalists, aims to help journalists in countries ranging from Kazakhstan and Thailand to Mexico and Gambia who are facing threats.

"For many journalists the consequences of what we would regard as simply doing a professional job may be crippling damages for 'defamation', long prison terms or broken careers", says Gugulethu Moyo, the executive director of MLDI.

"When challenged in the courts by powerful litigants – not only governments but corporations and wealthy individuals – who have the advantage of laws weighted against the media, the best, and sometimes the only protection is getting a good lawyer," Moyo says.

The threats facing journalists in many countries have been exace

...Read the full article

Comments (0)

Add Your Comment