Greece is preparing to pass special legislation against so-called SLAPP lawsuits (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation)—strategic lawsuits whose purpose is not so much to protect reputation as to intimidate journalists, activists, human rights defenders, and other participants in public discourse. The law is intended to implement the EU Directive aimed at combating such practices.
This initiative is an important step toward strengthening freedom of speech and protecting investigative journalism.
SLAPP lawsuits have long been one of the most effective tools for exerting pressure on independent media. Wealthy businesspeople, politicians, and large corporations use costly lawsuits not to establish the truth, but to force journalists to withdraw their publications, incur significant financial costs, and abandon further investigations.
The European Union recognized this problem as so serious that in 2024 it adopted a special Directive on the protection of persons engaged in public debate against manifestly unfounded or abusive legal actions. Member states were required to incorporate corresponding mechanisms into their national legislation, providing for the swift dismissal of unfounded claims, the imposition of legal costs on plaintiffs, and the imposition of sanctions against those who abuse the judicial system. (ecpmf.eu)
This issue is of particular importance to Cyprus.
On the island, journalists and public figures have repeatedly been subjected to legal pressure from influential businesspeople. Despite recommendations from the European Commission and the Council of Europe, Cypriot law still lacks comprehensive safeguards against SLAPP lawsuits. (ecpmf.eu)
One of the most telling examples is the case of Cypriot journalist Boris Demash.
A lawsuit is currently pending against him, initiated by Russian businessman Alexei Gubarev and his associate Oleg Reshetnikov. The subject of the legal proceedings is an article published on the Cyprus Daily News website, which he did not author. The journalist left the Cyprus Daily News editorial office back in 2021 and did not write the article that formed the basis for the legal proceedings. Despite this, the trial continues, which is a striking example of how wealthy Russians linked to Russian intelligence services are using the Cypriot judicial system to pressure journalists and restrict freedom of speech.
Regardless of how this specific case is assessed on its merits, such lawsuits demonstrate the need to establish effective procedural mechanisms that allow courts to identify and dismiss, at an early stage, clearly unfounded lawsuits aimed primarily at restricting freedom of public discourse.
If Greece, which has long been criticized for the state of press freedom, is moving to adopt modern anti-SLAPP legislation, then Cyprus should also seize this opportunity and bring its national legislation into line with European standards.
Press freedom is impossible if journalists are forced to choose between publishing stories of public interest and risking years of costly litigation. Protecting society from corruption, abuse of power, and organized crime depends directly on whether journalists are able to do their work without fear of legal persecution.
Anti-SLAPP legislation does not deprive anyone of the right to defend their reputation in court. It merely prevents the judicial system from being used as a tool of censorship and pressure against those acting in the public interest.
As a member state of the European Union, Cyprus must ensure the same level of protection for freedom of speech that other European countries are currently striving to establish.