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Dear ,
Part of Media Defence's mission is supporting the lawyers who defend journalists. We do this through knowledge-exchange opportunities like litigation surgeries, in-depth work on specific legal issues, and direct input on case strategy and human rights arguments.
Our global network has grown to over 300 lawyers. In 2025, we ran five regional litigation surgeries and a peer-to-peer mentoring programme, combining in-person and online activities. More than 100 lawyers took part, building legal expertise and expanding the network.
The surgeries offer an intensive, collaborative space to gain hands-on experience in strategic litigation for freedom of expression. Their real impact shows in how participants carry that knowledge and confidence into real-world cases.
We gather feedback and monitor impact regularly to keep this work effective and sustainable.
We recently published a Lawyers Impact Report for 2025, with feedback from lawyers from every continent. 94% of respondents found that joining a litigation surgery increased both their knowledge and skills in litigating freedom of expression cases.
One of the respondents said: “As lawyers working on sensitive human rights cases, we sometimes feel isolated in our struggles. But through this mentorship, I realised I am not alone.”
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** Media Defence News
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** Paris Court of Appeals reopens Ariane Lavrilleux’s case
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** Chile Jails Judge and General Who Spied on Journalist
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** Mauricio Weibel
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** The Anti-Picket Protocol: Damián Loreti on How Argentina’s Press Union is Fighting Back
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** Hungary: When the GDPR Became a Gag
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UNESCO REPORT:
Global evidence on why media matters to economics, national security and crises.
Independent journalism is not simply a democratic good. This issue brief is a high-impact public investment that strengthens economies, enhances security, and saves lives. The evidence shows that journalism reduces corruption, improves public services, supports resilience to disinformation, and strengthens responses to crises and disasters.
Explore the Report ([link removed])
** Upcoming Events
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** Sub-Saharan Africa Litigation Surgery
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Media Defence, in partnership with The Kennedy Human Rights Center and Vuka, will host 3 days of workshops focused on advancing the protection of human rights through strategic litigation.
Applications are now closed. We want to thank those who submitted an application. We will be in touch about the outcome in the coming days.
📍 Location: Nairobi, Kenya
🗓 Dates: October 2-4, 2026
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** Partners’ News
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** Media freedom groups condemn attacks on migrants and threats to journalists
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** Article by Campaign for Free Expression
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** 2026 Elections: The press amid threats, obstructions and stigmatization
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** Article by FLIP
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** Use and Impact of Digital Space in Nepal’s Election 2026
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** Article by Digital Rights Nepal
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** In 62% of defamation cases, the defendant is a journalist or media professional.
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** Report by MLSA
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From Nairobi to London: Media Defence Fellow Sumayyah J. Mokku on Defending Press Freedom in Kenya
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Media Defence’s Fellowship Programme supports lawyers working on freedom of expression in deepening their skills, broadening their networks, and connecting with peers across the globe. Our most recent legal fellow, Sumayyah J. Mokku, Litigation Counsel at the Katiba Institute and Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, reflects on what the programme gave her and how she will apply it to her work defending journalists against the mounting threats facing the press in her country.
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** Media Defence Latest Events
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** Lawyers from Across Europe Gather in Budapest for Media Defence Litigation Surgery
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** Article by Media Defence
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** Media Defence and OHCHR Convene Lawyers In San Jose to Strengthen Press Freedom Defences in Latin America
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** Article by Media Defence
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** What Are We Reading?
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* El País English: Killed for being a journalist: Another attack on press freedom in Mexico ([link removed])
* The Conversation: Who owns an AI-generated song? What we can learn from the phonograph and the evolution of copyright laws ([link removed])
* Arcola Theatre, Yeni Opera: “Lowest of the low”, the story of German investigative journalist Günter Wallraff in a docu-opera ([link removed])
* Forbidden Stories: Morocco Denied Using Pegasus. Documents and Insider Accounts Tell a Different Story ([link removed])
* USA Today Opinion: When Trump targets journalists, the public pays the price ([link removed])
** Stay Connected, Spread the Word
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At Media Defence, we believe protecting press freedom is a team effort - and you’re part of that team.
If you know someone who cares about independent journalism, share this newsletter with them or invite them to sign up ([link removed]) .
Want to go one step further? Support our work with a donation ([link removed]) . Every contribution helps us defend journalists facing legal threats around the world.
And we’d love to hear from you! Just hit reply and let us know what topics you’d like us to cover in future newsletters.
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