The enduring challenge of justice: promoting fair trials and accountability through the Media Freedom Coalition

Journalists should be able to rely on the law to protect them against threats and attacks – but increasingly, laws are being used to suppress independent journalism, including laws that have little to do with freedom of expression. Building on the ongoing work of the Media Freedom Coalition, a partnership of governments that promotes media freedom alongside civil society organisations, a panel of legal experts, and UNESCO, this session asked: how can governments and other actors promote accountability for crimes against journalists, and fair trials when journalists themselves are charged with crimes?  

The session featured case studies of initiatives such as trial monitoring by embassy representatives, recent research into a proposed international task force to investigate crimes against journalists, and the training of lawyers and judges on media freedom. It also featured a roundup of the MFC’s progress and results during the past year, as well as reflections by co-hosts Belgium marking one year since joining the Media Freedom Coalition.