North Macedonia - November 2023

Rights groups and journalists have criticized the Civil Court in Skopje for ruling in favor of businessman and former deputy Prime Minister Koco Angjushev in a defamation case against Investigative Reporting Lab (IRL). They argue that the decision resembles a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP). The court found IRL guilty of harming Angjushev's reputation by airing a documentary linking him to pollution caused by chemical-filled fuel oil. The judge recommended shutting down IRL and imposed a symbolic compensation fee, along with an order to publish the verdict on an entire newspaper page. IRL's editor-in-chief, Saska Cvetkovsk, stated they would pursue justice at the European Court for Human Rights if local courts do not provide it. In December, Angjushev was blacklisted by the US State Department for involvement in “significant corruption.”

Sources: Balkan Insight (1), Balkan Insight (2) International Press Institute, Article 19, IRL (YouTube),  US Department of State