How a Press Freedom Icon Became a Political Actor

Flutura Kusari built a reputation defending press freedom. Now, she stands accused of using that same power to silence a citizen who challenged her.

In Kosovo’s turbulent post-independence political landscape, where trust in institutions is fragile and the line between advocacy and partisanship often blurs, one of the loudest voices claiming to defend press freedom is now accused of trying to silence it.

Flutura Kusari, a senior legal adviser with the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) and a member of the CASE Coalition’s anti-SLAPP steering committee, has built her reputation on protecting journalists from abusive lawsuits designed to stifle criticism. But recent developments surrounding her failed criminal complaint against Kosovar citizen Mentor Llugaliu call into question the very foundation of her credibility.

Earlier this week, the Basic Prosecution Office in Prishtina dismissed Kusari’s complaint against Llugaliu, who had posted critical commentary about her on social media. The case, rooted in claims of “harassment,” was flatly rejected. Prosecutors concluded that there had been no contact, no threat, and no…