The Albanian Parliament is considering a draft law proposing amendments to the Criminal Code that would have direct implications for freedom of expression, media freedom, and journalists’ safety. The initiative includes proposals to decriminalize insults and defamation, strengthen criminal safeguards against violence and threats targeting journalists, and revise provisions on obstruction of freedom of expression and media activity.

For many years, the SafeJournalists Network has consistently advocated for the decriminalization of defamation and for special legal protection of journalists against violence, threats, and intimidation linked to their work, recognizing these issues as essential to safeguarding public-interest journalism and democratic debate. These concerns have been reflected in monitoring, alerts, and policy advocacy across the region, highlighting the chilling effect of criminal defamation and the need for effective legal responses to attacks on journalists.

These issues have been at the centre of long-standing concerns raised by the SafeJournalists Network, journalists, media organizations, and civil society in Albania, particularly in relation to the chilling effect of criminal defamation, the lack of effective protection against intimidation and attacks on journalists, and the risk of vague criminal provisions being misused against public-interest reporting. The current legislative discussion takes place in the context of Albania’s EU accession process, notably under Cluster 1 – Fundamentals and the Rule of Law Roadmap, where freedom of expression and media freedom remain key benchmarks.

In this context, SCiDEV, based also on data from SafeJournalists Network, has published a detailed legal analysis of the draft law, examining its alignment with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Council of Europe standards, and European Court of Human Rights case law. The analysis welcomes the reform direction as a whole, while identifying areas where clearer wording and legal precision would help ensure that criminal law protections strengthen journalist safety without creating new risks for freedom of expression or public-interest journalism.