​Free courts ensure that everyone in society plays by the same rules, even the rich and powerful. But governments in Europe are trying to control their judges. This undermines democracy and weakens our fundamental rights.

Smear campaigns are an attempt by powerful figures to undermine someone's credibility and reputation - with the goal of distracting public attention from something they are trying to keep quiet. Recovering from a smear campaign is tough, but possible.

Call Reference CERV STRIVE 2023

Liberties joins the European Partnership for Democracy to call for meaningful transparency of media ownership at both the national and the EU level. Here are nine recommendations for how the EU can achieve that through the European Media Freedom Act.

Journalists and rights defenders must be better protected against abusive lawsuits aka SLAPPs. Here's why Liberties and a coalition of human rights organisations think the Swedish EU Presidency could do a better job against SLAPPs.

In response to a crisis, the state can grant itself special powers to protect citizens from danger. However, as the Covid-19 pandemic showed, this increases the opportunities for abuses of power as many democratic checks and balances are weakened.

Greece’s ruling New Democracy government survived a no-confidence vote initiated by the main opposition party SYRIZA over the wiretapping scandal “Predatorgate”.

The Committee for the Prevention of Torture's new report found no allegations of mistreatment by police and satisfactory conditions in holding cells and prisons, but urged authorities not to drag their feet in modernising the country's detention centres.

The Czech Republic is considering making the spread of fake news illegal in its efforts to tackle disinformation. The country saw a surge in disinformation networks during the pandemic and since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A monthly round-up of Liberties' work: European governments weakening democracy, political integrity a blind spot in EU institutions, and why ethics can be costly.