Amman – December 2025

As part of the ARIJ 18th Annual Forum, and in partnership with Media Defence, ARIJ held a three-day training titled “Media Defence Middle East and North Africa Litigation Surgery”. The workshop brought together 12 lawyers from 10 Arab countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen, to enhance their practical skills and strategies for defending journalists and safeguarding independent media in the region.

Led by Marta Cabrera, a human rights lawyer at Media Defence, Wiebke Hanst, the organization’s Legal Officer, and Siraj Khan, an international law and governance expert, the training explored key issues affecting journalists and media freedom in the MENA region. Over the course of three days, participants were introduced to the fundamental principles of international law, the standards regulating freedom of expression, UN treaty mechanisms, and the role of lawyers in implementing these standards. The workshop also addressed the concept of false news from an international perspective, explored the challenges of defamation cases and SLAPPs, reviewed the forms of violence and violations faced by journalists, and analysed hate speech based on the Rabat Plan of Action and international standards for distinguishing it from freedom of opinion and expression.

The training provided participants with an opportunity to exchange legal expertise from across the Arab region and to build a support network aimed at strengthening the legal protection of journalists and media freedom defenders. Media Defence also outlined the available avenues for collaboration and support for lawyers working on freedom of expression cases

Participants’ Feedback

• “The training provided real-life examples and cases that can form a solid basis for building legal pleadings.”
  Majed Al-Arouri, Palestine
• “An important and useful workshop that opened new horizons for strengthening the defence of press freedom.”
  Mahmoud Rabei, Bahrain
• “The workshop offered a unique opportunity to connect with experts in the region.”
  Ghazi Al-Samie, Yemen
  
  
  

In 2025, ARIJ announced the launch of the Media Defence Module, translated into Arabic and made available to all lawyers specialising in media and freedom of expression in the region.