
Portugal
Portugal
Defamation and judicial harassment
Even if Portugal’s journalists are poorly paid and job insecurity is growing, the reporting environment is relatively calm. However, some problems continue. Insult and defamation are still criminalized despite repeated European Court of Human Rights rulings that Portugal is violating free speech. The soccer world, both managers and supporters, is still very aggressive towards the media, and journalists are often threatened with lawsuits when covering questionable practices at the main clubs. The judicial authorities confirmed in early 2020 that Rui Pinto, the young whistleblower behind the “Football Leaks,” will be tried on a total 93 counts for offences that include violating secrecy and illegally accessing information. They did not set a date for the trial.
Ranking
+2
12 in 2019
Global score
-0.80
12.63 in 2019