July 22, 2026, Chisinau – Journalists, human rights defenders, civic activists, whistleblowers and members of non-governmental organizations will benefit from greater protection against abusive judicial procedures.The Government approved the bill developed by the Ministry of Justice, which introduces measures to prevent and combat legal actions brought with the aim of intimidating or censoring people involved in public interest activities.These actions are known under the acronym SLAPP.
To combat these threats, the Law on Freedom of Expression introduces the concepts of “public mobilization” and “abusive judicial proceedings against public mobilization.”At the same time, a list of indicators is included that will allow the judge to establish the abusive nature of the litigation.
The draft provides three essential procedural guarantees for the persons concerned in such actions:
the possibility of requiring the applicant to post a security deposit to cover the estimated legal costs;
the rapid rejection of manifestly unfounded applications;
the application of measures when the court finds the procedure to be abusive, including fines.
Another change is the elimination of criminal liability for defamation, in accordance with the recommendations of the Council of Europe.At the same time, persons involved in SLAPP-type actions will be able to benefit from state-guaranteed legal aid and will be exempt from paying state fees when requesting compensation for the damage suffered.
The new legislative amendments, which fully transpose the EU Directive into the field, will contribute to strengthening freedom of expression and freedom of the press, reducing self-censorship, strengthening trust in justice, but also reducing the burden on the judicial system, by early filtering of manifestly unfounded requests.