Caruana Galizia most targeted journalist by SLAPPs: Europe-wide exercise

Slain Daphne Caruana Galizia was the most targeted journalist by vexatious libel lawsuits in Europe, according to a study of SLAPPs filed across the continent over 10 years.
The report, by the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE), notes how the shock of Caruana Galizia’s assassination led to increased international attention to Malta, which resulted in some amendments to the laws on defamation and press freedom.

“Nonetheless, the culture of filing legal complaints to silence criticism is still prevalent in Malta. At the start of 2022, three defamation cases were filed by public officials against newsrooms and journalists.”
SLAPPs, which are on the increase in Europe, abuse existing laws to intimidate and harass those who speak out and actively participate in the civil space, according to CASE.
SLAPPs do not necessarily have to be filed in the country of the defendant: in 2020, legal proceedings in Bulgaria were directed at Times of Malta, and separately at blogger Manuel Delia. These were not included in CASE's sample.
Highest number of SLAPPs per capita
CASE noted that its study is not an exhaustive survey of SLAPP cases across the continent. Data was gathered through...