Among the reasons for the downgrade: approval of the Security Bill and the Paragon case

Italy has been officially downgraded to a country with "obstructed civic space" in the new Civicus Monitor annual report. An assessment that confirms the structural deterioration of democratic freedoms and places our country among those where civic space is significantly restricted, at the same level as Orban's Hungary.

The Civicus Monitor uses a methodology based on the collection and analysis of data from multiple sources, including civil society organisations, human rights observatories, independent monitoring platforms and legal analysis, assessing the respect for the freedoms of expression, demonstration and association. The 'obstructed' rating indicates that these freedoms are subject to recurrent violations, intimidation, arbitrary restrictions and distorted use of regulatory instruments.

While civil society's commitment to the protection of fundamental rights is growing, Italian decision makers are closing any space for democratic dialogue, showing disinterest in confrontation and an increasing propensity to silence critical voices. In Italy, the deterioration of civic space has been accelerated by the approval of the Security Decree, which introduces harsher punishments and repressive instruments against peaceful dissent and in general on the exercise of freedom of peaceful assembly and association, in violation of the principles of legality, equality and non-discrimination.

Added to this is the use of Graphite spyware, produced by Paragon Solutions, used for illegal surveillance activities against journalists and activists, demonstrating an increasing undermining of the right to criticism and free information.

All this is part of a general framework of criminalisation of protest that has mainly affected climate and environmental activism, NGOs engaged in the rescue of migrants at sea, and activists of movements in defence of the Palestinian people.

A framework in which freedom of the press and the autonomy of the judiciary are called into question, with journalists suffering reckless actions and trials for their work, while government exponents are the protagonists of veritable smear campaigns against the judiciary, accusing judges of political bias and collusion with non-governmental organisations.

This is not an isolated case. France and Germany have also been downgraded, a sign of a generalised retreat of civic space in Europe. The intensification of the climate of war and the increasing militarisation of public policies are progressively shrinking democratic spaces, with citizens increasingly excluded from decision-making processes. In this context, security is often used as an argument to limit freedoms and fundamental rights, fuelling repressive dynamics.

We appeal to all political forces to stop this authoritarian drift and reaffirm the central role of dissent and freedom of the press in the protection of democracy as provided for in our Constitution. The defence of civic space is an essential condition to guarantee pluralism, social justice and the protection of human rights.

On 19 December at 11.30 a.m., the results of the monitoring and the initiatives to protect civic space taken by the Network in Defence Di and civil society organisations will be presented at a press conference in the Chamber of Deputies.

IN DEFENCE OF

NETWORK NO DL Security

Amnesty International Italy

ARCI

South

Cnca - National Coordination of Welcoming Communities

COSPE

A Bridge For

Global Movement to Gaza

Greenpeace Italy

Balkans Caucasus Transeuropa Observatory (OBCT)

Terra Nuova Centre for Solidarity and Cooperation among Peoples

National Association of Democratic Jurists

Yaku Odv

Esquiline Civic Pole

Article 21

Legal Team Italy

AOI - Association of Italian Organisations for International Cooperation and Solidarity
Last Generation

ASGI

For the Climate Out of the Fossil

Human Rights International Corner