Galina Arapova: Defending Media Rights in Russia Today

Article 19 and Rights in Russia are delighted to announce a talk by Galina Arapova, one of Russia’s leading media rights lawyers.

Galina Arapova is director of the Mass Media Defence Centre (MMDC), an NGO set up in 1995 in Voronezh, Russia, to protect the rights of journalists and media outlets and to promote freedom of expression. Under Galina’s leadership, it has become one of a small number of regionally-based human rights groups to have a nationwide impact, defending cases and advising journalists, media outlets and lawyers from Siberia to Dagestan.

A practising lawyer, Galina has strong experience in defending media in defamation and privacy cases. She has taken a number of cases regarding violation of Article 10 (“Freedom of Expression”) of the European Convention to the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. She is a member of the International Media Lawyers Association and of the Voronezh City Public Chamber.

Recently Galina and the MMDC have been defending their right to aid and advise others.
Early in 2015 the Mass Media Defence Centre was investigated and in February it was declared a “Foreign Agent” NGO. In October last year the Centre was fined 300,000 roubles for refusing to join the Register of Foreign Agents. Galina Arapova and the MMDC are contesting this decision in the courts.

Galina is a trustee of Article 19 and a member of the advisory council of Rights in Russia. The Mass Media Defence Centre is also a partner of the London-based Media Legal Defence Initiative.

There will be an informal reception after the event.

The event will be under the Chatham House rule. This event is free of charge. However, donations to the organizers will be welcome.