Whistleblowers

Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights

The Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (FIRM-IFDH) is legally mandated to provide support to whistleblowers, including legal assistance, either directly or via attorneys, and it also provides training on whistleblower protection. It published a guide for whistleblowers in December 2024, together with the Federal Ombudsman. The guide is aimed at people who report abuse or fraud in the workplace or who intend to do so. It informs whistleblowers of their rights, directs them to the appropriate contact point and support organisations (including FIRM-IFDH and the Ombudsman) and encourages them to speak out.

To raise awareness about the support available for whistleblowers, FIRM-IFDH launched a campaign in 2024-2025 on social media and through other online channels. As part of this campaign, it produced a short video explaining what a whistleblower is and what kind of support they can expect from FIRM-IFDH. The video was shared on social media and other online platforms. In addition, it distributed brochures and posters through employers, trade unions, social secretariats, and other stakeholders. For this dissemination, it collaborated with the Federal Ombudsman, who receives whistleblower reports and ensures their protection. The campaign was available in French and Dutch.

Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria

The Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria is monitoring the execution of the final European Court of Human Rights judgments in the case of Bozhkov v. Bulgaria. The case relates to the violation of the right to the freedom of expression of journalists (art. 10 ECHR) due to the fact that he reported about alleged corrupt practices. Related to the above, the Ombudsman issued a statement and invited state authorities to address a gap in whistleblower protection and ensure the timely and effective transposition of the EU Whistleblower Directive.

Consultative Human Rights Commission of Luxembourg

In 2018, the government of Luxembourg drafted amendments to the law Nº 6961 aimed at strengthening the protection of classified information. This was to be done by incorporating a security clearance system, mainly implemented by the National Safety Authority. In 2019, the Consultative Human Rights Commission of Luxembourg published an opinion on how the draft negatively impacted the right to freedom of expression and access to information, as well as to the protection of personal data. The NHRI expressed concerns that the law does not provide an exception for journalists or whistleblowers who report information about threats or harm to the public interest. The opinion provided recommendations to the government to ensure a human rights compliant revision of the draft legislation, one in which whistleblowers, informants and journalists are sufficiently protected. Additionally, the opinion advised on setting out clear modalities for the collection/use of personal data and avoiding excessive interference with privacy. The opinion took European regulations, European Court of Human Rights case law, and Council of Europe standards into account.

People’s Advocate of Moldova

As the authority responsible for ensuring whistleblower protection in Moldova, the People’s Advocate of Moldova created a form for submitting request and alerts on their website. Through this, whistleblowers can liaise with the NHRI on reviewing their case.

People’s Advocate of Moldova

The People’s Advocate of Moldova and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Moldova launched an online course on whistleblowers’ protection in Russian and Romanian. The platform is aimed at employees from both the public and private sector. Users learn about how to disclose illegal practices; the particularities of whistleblowing in the private and public sectors; what illegalities may be disclosed; and the protection guarantees for those speaking out about corruption and irregularities in the institutions they work in.