The Lawfare Against Journalism project has received institutional support from the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI), one of the leading organisations dedicated to promoting investigative journalism, press freedom, transparency, and access to information in Brazil. The support reinforces the project’s commitment to documenting and analysing legal strategies used to intimidate, silence, or constrain journalists and news organisations, while strengthening dialogue with professional and advocacy networks working to defend journalism in increasingly challenging democratic environments.
Founded in 2002, ABRAJI is a non-profit organisation created by journalists to improve the quality of journalism, promote professional training, defend freedom of expression, and advance the right of access to public information. Throughout its history, the association has become a reference in investigative journalism, organising congresses, seminars, workshops, training programmes, and projects dedicated to journalism safety, transparency, and accountability.
The institutional support from ABRAJI is particularly significant given the growing relevance of discussions on lawfare, judicial harassment, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), and other forms of legal pressure targeting journalists and media organisations worldwide. The Lawfare Against Journalism project seeks to map and analyse these practices internationally, examining how legal mechanisms can be instrumentalised to undermine public-interest reporting, restrict freedom of expression, and weaken democratic accountability.
The collaboration also reflects shared concerns regarding journalism safety and the protection of fundamental democratic rights. Over the years, ABRAJI has developed initiatives focused on access to information, monitoring threats against journalists, promoting investigative reporting, and strengthening professional networks dedicated to defending press freedom. The association’s longstanding work has helped position these issues at the centre of public and policy debates in Brazil and beyond.
For the project’s Principal Investigator, Lucia Monteiro Mesquita, the support also carries a personal and professional significance. Mesquita has been an ABRAJI member (“associada”) since 2016, participating in the association’s community of journalists and researchers committed to investigative reporting, professional development, and the defence of democratic values. This institutional support, therefore, represents not only a collaboration between organisations but also the continuation of a longstanding connection with one of Brazil’s most influential journalism associations.
As the project advances, the partnership is expected to contribute to broader discussions on journalism safety, legal intimidation, freedom of expression, and the future of investigative reporting in digital and platformised societies. It also creates opportunities for future exchanges between researchers, journalists, and advocacy organisations working at the intersection of journalism, law, democracy, and human rights.
More information about the Lawfare Against Journalism project is available at Lawfare Against Journalism Project.
Further information about ABRAJI can be found on the ABRAJI – Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism website.
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