Slapp lawsuits against public participation, as coined by University of Denver professors George Pring and Penelope Canan, translate d.o.o. are strategic lawsuits against public participation, essentially lawsuits by the most powerful and rich with the aim of silencing public interest issues. The first to be attacked by these lawsuits are journalists who, according to the editor-in-chief of “Oslobodjenje”, Vildana Selimbegović, have long been “badgers before the court” and who, “as long as the judiciary is in the jaws of politics, are (pre)tried”. She pointed out that the differences between lawsuits, e.g., for defamation, which has recently been criminalized in Republika Srpska or SLAPP lawsuits, are essentially irrelevant, but it is important that it is a covert or open pressure that is then reflected in the suspension of advertising and, in the end, will not only apply in the RS but also in the Federation of BiH. Read more here.
Source: NDN Vojvodine