28 June 2021, 14:04 UTC
Kosovo: Defamation lawsuits seeking to silence environmental activists must be withdrawn
Two environmental activists in Kosovo are facing baseless defamation lawsuits which are designed to intimidate and silence them, Amnesty International said today. The organization is calling on Kelkos Energy, which operates hydropower plants in a protected natural area in western Kosovo, to withdraw two lawsuits against Shpresa Loshaj and Adriatik Gacaferi, activists who have publicly spoken out against the environmental impact of the projects.
Kelkos Energy is a subsidiary of the Austria-based public energy provider Kelag International. Amnesty International analysed legal documents and other materials relating to the cases, and concluded that the lawsuits bear all the hallmarks of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). SLAPPs are increasingly being used by governments and corporations around the world to censor criticism and discourage others fr
Kosovo
Austria
Adriatik-gacaferi
Shpresa-loshaj
Jelena-sesar
Kelag-international
Kelkos-energy
Ministry-of-environment
Balkans-researcher-at-amnesty-international
Ombudsman-institution
Environmental-regulatory-office
Protection-agency