Galina Arapova, who lives in Voronezh, Russia, is director and senior media lawyer at the NGO Mass Media Defence Centre (MMDC). The Centre was established in 1995 to protect the rights of journalists and media outlets and promote freedom of expression standards in Russia. 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 lawyers from Siberia to Dagestan.

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

More recently Galina and the MMDC have been forced to defend their right to defend others. The Mass Media Defence Centre was investigated under the new law concerning “Foreign Agents” and in February 2015 was declared a “foreign agent”. In October last year MMDC was fined 300,000 roubles for refusing to join the Register of Foreign Agents. The battle in the courts is ongoing.

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. To confirm your attendance, please e-mail office@pushkinhouse.org.uk, or on our Facebook page: Defending Media Rights in Russia Today