“Disinformation attacks affect the entire field of human rights.”

What does a disinformation attack look like in practice? Can you describe how it happened in your case? 

It’s hard to even begin to explain, because there are several types of attacks. I would divide them into three groups: attacks by the state, attacks by social media users, and attacks by the media. Each group can have different effects, although they often overlap.

When you are attacked by the state, the situation is serious. I first encountered this when then-Minister Gerkeš or Boštjan Šefic launched an attack. In such moments, you have to think very carefully about how to respond – first seek support and allies, then respond with strong statements. At that time, I also filed a lawsuit. The newspaper Delo acted as an intermediary in the government attack.

The problem with such attacks is that they never disappear. Even if the accusations are dismissed, the story keeps resurfacing whenever your name is mentioned, for example, when running for the position of Human Rights Ombudsman. So you are practically marked for the rest of your career. In addition, the public reacts with comments that you receive in private messages and under posts – this still happens today, especially when I appear in the media or speak about migration.

Comments in various media are problematic because the story keeps being regenerated and never ends. My biggest concern was that these attacks would not reach my children, especially minors. This is one of the biggest challenges – how to protect your family.

When you are attacked by a right-wing media outlet, you have to use legal means. In such cases, a lawsuit for protection of reputation is possible, but free legal aid is usually not available, even if you meet the criteria. This is a major shortcoming of the system, as activists and exposed individuals find it difficult to protect themselves properly if they do not have enough financial resources for a lawyer. You can have several lawsuits open at the same time, which means you have to advance funds of 1,000 to 1,500 euros for each procedure, even before the process begins. The state usually protects you only through criminal proceedings, not through the prosecution.

These are the different types of attacks you can experience.

How did you respond when accusations of smuggling migrants were circulating? What was your mechanism to take care of yourself and continue working without letting it completely ruin you?

When I decided to take this job, I did not expect the exposure to be so great, but I accepted it as part of my profession. In the most difficult moments, I had to switch off my emotions and focus on limiting the damage externally – mainly so that colleagues at PIC would not feel that everything was falling apart. Only later was I able to start processing my personal consequences.

Support from Goran Forbici, who helped me with communication and planning steps, was very important to me. Without such support, everything would have been much more difficult. In civil society, we started developing mechanisms for mutual assistance, but it turned out that solidarity and networking are the most effective. This way, we are more resilient to attacks, as we act as a group and not as individuals.

Later, I also sought professional help, which helped me additionally. Today, I am more resilient – if an attack occurs, I take legal action and do not worry as much as I used to.

Do you think lawsuits for defamation or slander are effective? How would you assess the effectiveness of this mechanism?

First, there is a significant entry barrier – many people do not have enough money, time, or the will to even start a lawsuit. But if you decide to go through with it and successfully complete the process, the situation can at least partially improve. The most important effect is that the attacks often stop and that the media or individuals have to remove the contentious content. In some cases, this is crucial, as you can protect yourself or your loved ones through legal means. However, the process is lengthy and demanding, so this mechanism is not accessible to everyone. 

How did the attack unfold in your case – where did it start and how did it develop? Do such things start on social media or with politics and then continue in the media?

In my case, everything started exclusively with politics – first with government politics, for example with the minister, and in another case with politics that leads right-wing media. I do not have much experience with attacks starting on social media, as is the case with some others. For me, it was mainly a consequence of news or comments on articles and statements by politicians, which then trigger a wave of reactions. The process usually starts with a statement or article, and then the story spreads through the media and public comments, causing a new round of reactions and attacks. 

Do you remember any advice that was recommended to you but did not work in practice?

You are often advised not to read comments or to distance yourself from what is happening, but in reality, this is almost impossible. Once you read negative words, they stick in your memory and you cannot simply dismiss them. For me, it was crucial to have an environment that understood this. What helped me most was processing these things within the organization, where we have a very healthy working environment and support each other. We mostly resolve our frustrations together, as we do not want to burden our partners additionally. 

Have you had any experience reporting threats or attacks to the police? 

I personally have not reported such threats, or at that time I was not so involved with it. From the experiences of other cases we deal with, everything depends a lot on the police. If I were to report a threat myself, I would not go to the police in person, but would handle everything in writing, because personal contact would be too stressful for me and I would not want to risk a bad experience. For victims who receive threats, experiences are very different. I also think that gender plays a role here – when a woman reports a threat, it is more likely that she will be taken less seriously. Often, she does not receive all the information and support that one would expect as a victim of a criminal offense, such as information about further assistance or the course of the procedure. That is why I would not take that risk myself. 

How would you assess the impact of disinformation attacks on the field of human rights advocacy? Regardless of whether you are a victim or not, or whether you develop defense mechanisms or not – how do you think such attacks affect advocacy or this field? 

Disinformation attacks do not only affect individual advocates or activists, but the entire segment or group. Such attacks generalize us and create a group that is allowed to be constantly attacked, exposed, and even harassed. Both the authorities and the opposition allow this, regardless of who is in power. 

The right-wing narrative is very effective in finding scapegoats for general dissatisfaction, migration, and similar topics. It is very easy to create an enemy in the NGO sector, which is happening practically everywhere in Europe and the world. These attacks certainly have broad and long-term consequences for our work, as they affect the entire field of human rights. 

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