Defamation

Greece's main journalists' union and opposition parties have expressed concern over the arrest of an executive in a small media group for allegedly trying to blackmail the country's defense minister.

The Parapolitika group's manager was arrested in his office Tuesday. The publisher of Parapolitika newspaper also turned himself in to police later.

Council of Europe (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks has reacted to a Belgrade court's ruling in a defamation case involving a cabinet minister.

The leader of Ataka Volen Siderov has remitted BGN 35,000 in legal expenses incurred by Boyko Borisov in the slander case against Siderov initiated by Borisov.

"If Siderov had not turned out to be human, my entire salary as PM would have been forfeited," commented Borisov to journalists.

A 58-year-old man and his 32-year-old son were arrested Wednesday on charges of attempted extortion and slander of a proprietor of a meat processing company in the Rendi suburb of Athens.

A German comedian, whose satirical poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has unleashed a bitter row about freedom of speech after Ankara made a request to prosecute the satirist for "insulting" a foreign leader, has decided to suspend his own TV show, he announced on his Facebook page on April 16.

As Turkey's political leaders continue to trade harsh epithets in the aftermath of a sexual abuse scandal, President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has filed yet another complaint against the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader on "insult" charges, demanding 100,000 liras in compensation for non-pecuniary damages.

The European Parliament has expressed concern about a culture of self-censorship among journalists in Albania in its draft resolution on the country's progress in 2015.

The members of the International Press Institute (IPI) have called on Turkey to end an "escalating crackdown on independent media and dissenting voices that has seen the misuse of anti-terrorism laws to target and imprison journalists reporting on public interest issues."

The Venice Commission, the legal advisory body of the Council of Europe, has recommended changes to the crime of "insulting the president" in Turkey, pointing to the law's "vague wording" and increase in related cases and penalties. 

Romanian journalists are protesting against a draft law on defamation, which was initiated by the leftist Social Democratic Party, PSD, calling it a device to shield politicians from criticism.

"This law aims to protect the politicians from being criticised for their actions," TV producer Radu Banciu claims.