World Press Freedom Day 2018

Lucy Freeman is the Chief Executive Officer of Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI), a London-based organization that provides legal defence to journalists around the world. MLDI also undertakes strategic litigation to challenge repressive laws and defend media freedom. Notable cases supported by MLDI include FAJ v. The Gambia (Feb, 2018), in which the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) found that the rights of four Gambian journalists had been violated by the actions of the Gambian authorities, through the enforcement of laws criminalizing speech. MLDI was also instrumental in Konate v. Burkina Faso (Dec, 2014), in which the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights delivered a landmark ruling on criminal libel and awarded the Burkinabe journalist Lohé Issa Konaté, compensation for the harm he suffered. This further led to the repealing of prison sentences for libel and other press offenses in Burkina Faso. Prior to MLDI, Lucy Freeman held various roles at Amnesty International, including Director of Gender, Sexuality & Identity and Deputy Director for Africa.