OCCRP Joins UK Day of Action to Demand Anti-SLAPP Legislation
The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) has joined the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition in a cross-industry Day of Action, urging the British government to implement robust legal protections against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). As the UK prepares for the King’s Speech, which outlines the upcoming legislative agenda, the coalition demands universal anti-SLAPP provisions to prevent wealthy individuals from using the legal system to silence journalists. SLAPPs are abusive lawsuits designed not to win on merit, but to exhaust defendants' financial resources and mental health. OCCRP Co-Founder Paul Radu highlighted the devastating impact of such tactics, citing his own two-year defamation battle with an Azerbaijani politician following the Azerbaijani Laundromat investigation. Although Radu won, the process drained significant resources. The article notes that the UK is considered a haven for SLAPPs due to high defense costs and reversed burdens of proof in defamation cases. With OCCRP members facing approximately 100 lawsuits globally, the organization argues that current laws allow powerful figures to censor public interest reporting. This action follows an open letter signed by over 160 organizations calling for urgent legislative reform.
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OCCRP Joins UK Day of Action to Demand Anti-SLAPP Legislation
The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) has joined the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition in a cross-industry Day of Action, urging the British government to implement robust legal protections against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). As the UK prepares for the King’s Speech, which outlines the upcoming legislative agenda, the coalition demands universal anti-SLAPP provisions to prevent wealthy individuals from using the legal system to silence journalists. SLAPPs are abusive lawsuits designed not to win on merit, but to exhaust defendants' financial resources and mental health. OCCRP Co-Founder Paul Radu highlighted the devastating impact of such tactics, citing his own two-year defamation battle with an Azerbaijani politician following the Azerbaijani Laundromat investigation. Although Radu won, the process drained significant resources. The article notes that the UK is considered a haven for SLAPPs due to high defense costs and reversed burdens of proof in defamation cases. With OCCRP members facing approximately 100 lawsuits globally, the organization argues that current laws allow powerful figures to censor public interest reporting. This action follows an open letter signed by over 160 organizations calling for urgent legislative reform.
OCCRP