Meeting with the representative of UNESCO on the segment of freedom of expression and the safety of journalists

On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, the director of the National Institute of Justice, Ramona Strugariu, met with the representative of UNESCO on the segment of freedom of expression and the safety of journalists, Giulia Melotti.

At the meeting, the program developed by UNESCO from 2013 was briefly presented - Initiative for judges. Within it, alongside the national judicial training schools, training sessions are offered dedicated to international and regional standards on freedom of expression and the necessary measures to combat impunity in cases of aggression against media representatives, as well as addressing the phenomenon of hate speech.

During the dialogue, the challenges facing the national judicial system were mentioned, highlighting the need to adopt a national anti-SLAPP legislation to minimize the abusive use of judicial proceedings to intimidate the media. These practices, which have financial and psychological consequences for journalists, are already regulated by the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive, which makes the harmonization of national legislation with the European acquis become one of our country's priorities in the context of joining the European community.

The parties emphasized the importance of raising awareness of this phenomenon and the joint organization of specialized training programs for judges, prosecutors and lawyers, establishing prospects for cooperation in this regard. At the same time, the beneficiaries of the National Institute of Justice are invited to contribute to a scientific research on the impact of legal threats on freedom of expression by completing an electronic questionnaire at  THIS LINK.