SRT Newsletter – April

Grantee News

Háttér Society has welcomed a landmark ruling in which the EU’s top court found that Hungary’s 2021 anti-LGBTQI law breached core EU values, including human dignity and equality. The judgment is significant because, for the first time in proceedings against a Member State, the Court found a breach of Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. The group, which had supported the case, said the historic victory increases pressure on Hungary’s incoming government to repeal discriminatory measures.

Index on Censorship has raised concerns after reporting that a secondary school in Greater Manchester removed scores of library books, including titles on race, gender identity and LGBTQ+ themes, in what campaigners describe as a troubling case of opaque censorship. The case has prompted wider debate over who decides what young people are allowed to read and the growing politicisation of school libraries in the UK.

A Direkt36 investigation has found that tens of billions of forints in state funds were secretly channelled to 4iG, a company closely associated with Viktor Orbán’s inner circle, before it acquired several state-owned defence firms. The findings raise fresh concerns over conflicts of interest, opaque privatisation processes and the use of public money to benefit politically connected business networks in Hungary. Separately, the co-founder, editor and executive director András Pethő visited the team at the beginning of May to share his thoughts on the recent election and on his expectations going forward.

European Environmental Bureau and ClientEarth have published new analysis finding that delays by the European Commission to promised toxic chemical restrictions, including to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as long-lasting “forever chemicals”), lead, and harmful compounds in everyday products such as in children’s nappies, have resulted in nearly 100,000 tonnes of additional pollution. The groups say the stalled action risks undermining the EU’s zero-pollution ambitions.

CHEM Trust has welcomed a UK parliamentary report, to which it submitted evidence, calling for urgent restrictions on PFAS “forever chemicals” in consumer goods such as school uniforms, cookware and food packaging, warning current regulation is inadequate. The cross-party Environmental Audit Committee urged a ban on non-essential uses and stronger safeguards against harmful substitutions, and while its recommendations are not legally binding, they are expected to shape future policy and legislation.

Bellingcat has received six Emmy Award nominations for collaborative investigations spanning Iran’s nuclear programme, US immigration enforcement and Russia’s poison programme. The recognition highlights the growing impact of open-source journalism and cross-border investigative partnerships in exposing abuses of power and advancing public accountability.

Metamorphosis Foundation director, Bardhyl Jashari, received a Knight of the National Order of Merit from the French government. The award, which is akin to knighthood, is in recognition of his exceptional commitment since the 2005 establishment of the Metamorphosis Foundation, “and his essential role in strengthening European democratic values ​​in North Macedonia… The fight against disinformation and the commitment to coexistence represent the two pillars of his work.”

Watershed Investigations, as part of the European Forever Lobbying collaboration with partners including Le Monde, has been shortlisted for the Innovation Award of the European Press Prize for its reporting on PFAS pollution. The nomination follows more than 20 investigations by Watershed and partners examining industry lobbying, regulatory failures and the public health risks posed by “forever chemicals” across the UK and Europe.

Nadia’s Initiative founder Nadia Murad has been awarded France’s Legion of Honour in recognition of her global advocacy for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. Her work includes the development of the Murad Code, a survivor-centred global framework for the ethical documentation of such crimes. Former grantee the Institute for International Criminal Investigations has published new guidance under the Murad Code project, providing support and guidance to help funders to apply these principles in practice.

Former grantee the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) has welcomed the awarding of the Goldman Environmental Prize to activist Theonila Roka Matbob, whose landmark complaint, supported by HRLC, helped secure Rio Tinto’s commitment to address the legacy of the Panguna mine in Papua New Guinea. The recognition highlights the growing impact of community-led efforts to hold corporations accountable for environmental and human rights harms.