Lawsuits to silence those speaking out and fighting in the interest of the public are increasingly being used as a form of private censorship, according to a new report published last week by the Coalition Against SLAPPS in Europe, or CASE.
Developed in collaboration with the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, the report shows that SLAPPs continue to rise in Europe and identifies a total of 1,049 cases between 2010-2023. The lawsuits cover a broad range of topics, and environmental issues made up the second-most-targeted subject of all the SLAPP suits reported, behind corruption.
The report identified SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) in 41 countries across the continent, including Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, the UK, and Ukraine. Globally big oil, big ag, and other corporate interests have filed lawsuits against individuals and groups who advocate for environmental and climate protection and attempt to hold key players accountable.
