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4 clusters · 16 sources · 27 days · First seen · Last updated

Bulgaria passes law to protect against SLAPP lawsuits

Overview

The Bulgarian Parliament has passed legislation designed to protect journalists, activists, and other public-interest actors from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP). These legal actions are often utilized by influential entities to intimidate or financially exhaust critics through costly defamation or reputational damage proceedings.

While the law implements a 2024 European Union directive, it extends protections beyond the minimum EU requirements by covering purely domestic cases in addition to cross-border ones. Key provisions include the authority for courts to dismiss clearly unfounded claims at an early stage, shorter deadlines for judicial decisions, and stricter conditions for interim measures, such as asset seizures.

Legal experts and officials noted that the reform aims to prevent the judicial process from being used as a tool for “economic or psychological pressure.” The protections apply to those exercising freedom of expression, including journalists, whistleblowers, scientists, and human rights defenders. Furthermore, the new rules will apply to ongoing proceedings that have not yet reached their first hearing. Human rights organizations have welcomed the move, noting that dozens of such cases currently in the Bulgarian court system have had a “paralysing effect on freedom of expression.”

Entities

National Assembly of Bulgaria · Nikolay Naydenov · Progressive Bulgaria · Yanka Tyankova · Bulgarian Parliament

Timeline

  1. [POLITICS] 7 sources
    Bulgaria passes law to protect journalists from SLAPP lawsuits

    Bulgaria's parliament passed a law to protect journalists and activists from SLAPP lawsuits, extending EU-mandated protections to include domestic cases to prevent legal intimidation.

  2. [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Bulgaria passes measures to combat SLAPP lawsuits

    Bulgaria's National Assembly passed first-reading amendments to the Civil Procedure Code to protect journalists and activists from SLAPP lawsuits and intimidation.

  3. [POLITICS] 6 sources
    Bulgarian Parliament advances consumer protection and anti-SLAPP laws

    The Bulgarian Parliament is advancing several key laws, including new consumer protections for financial services, measures to combat SLAPP lawsuits against journalists, and updated air quality regulations.

  4. [POLITICS] 4 sources
    Bulgarian Parliament moves to protect media from SLAPP lawsuits

    Bulgaria's Legal Commission approved amendments to the Civil Procedure Code to protect journalists and activists from SLAPP lawsuits and unfounded legal actions intended to silence public debate.

Sources

60m.ro · a-specto.bg · dennews.bg · e-79.com · euronews.com · fakti.bg · newscentral.africa · pbnovini.com · petel.bg · pik.bg · podtepeto.com · ruse.news · safenews.bg · securityadvisor.com · standartnews.com · vesti.bg

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history