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Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
Repeated blocking of websites in Belarus a worrying trend, says OSCE media freedom representative
Publishing date: 26 January 2018
What we do: Media laws
Location: Belarus
VIENNA, 26 January 2018 – Following the blocking of Charter97.org in Belarus, a popular website on current affairs in the country, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today called on the authorities to ensure unrestricted access to the Internet...
Broadening of "foreign agents" status for media in Russia detrimental to freedom of expression online, says OSCE Representative
Publishing date: 26 January 2018
What we do: Media laws, Safety of journalists
Location: Russia
VIENNA, 26 January 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today, in a letter to Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, called on the Russian Parliament not to adopt the draft law that through amendments to the “Statute on the Mass Media” extends the status of a "foreign agent" to individuals...
OSCE Representative Désir, in Moscow, calls on Russian Federation to urgently step up efforts to ensure safety of journalists and media freedom
Publishing date: 23 November 2017
Location: Russia
MOSCOW, 23 November 2017 – During his visit to Moscow, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir expressed deep concern about the media freedom situation in the Russian Federation.
Registration of media as "foreign agents" not acceptable says OSCE media freedom representative
Publishing date: 16 November 2017
What we do: Media laws, Media pluralism
Locations: Russia, United States of America
VIENNA, 16 November 2017 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed his concern about a series of measures by the United States of America and the Russian Federation requiring the media entities from other countries to register themselves as “foreign agents”...
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir discusses media reforms, welcomes positive steps in Skopje
Publishing date: 15 November 2017
What we do: Media laws, Media pluralism, Safety of journalists
Location: North Macedonia
SKOPJE, 15 November 2017- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir, during his visit to Skopje today, commended several positive media reforms while underlining the need to improve the general media situation in the county.
OSCE media freedom representative welcomes passage of Canada’s new press shield law
Publishing date: 6 October 2017
What we do: Media laws
Location: Canada
VIENNA, 6 October 2017 – Canada’s new Journalistic Source Protection Act, known as Bill S-231, which was passed on Wednesday 4 October, was today welcomed by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir. The legislation, which protects the confidentiality of journalistic sources, was adopted with the support of all three political parties. The bill was first introduced by Conservative Senator Claude Carignan in November 2016...
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media warns Germany social networks law could have disproportionate effect
Publishing date: 4 October 2017
What we do: Media laws
Location: Germany
VIENNA, 4 October 2017 –The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today called on German authorities to ensure that the freedom of expression is safeguarded in the implementation of, the Network Enforcement Act (NEA), a federal law on better law enforcement in social networks which entered into force on 1 October...
New study shows criminal defamation laws unduly limit media freedom, OSCE media freedom representative says
Publishing date: 7 March 2017
What we do: Decriminalization of defamation, Media laws
VIENNA, 7 March 2017 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today released a comparative study “Defamation and Insult Laws in the OSCE Region” which says criminal law remains an instrument to excessively limit media freedom...
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media calls on Turkey to decriminalize journalistic work following arrest of Die Welt journalist
Publishing date: 1 March 2017
What we do: Media laws
Location: Türkiye
VIENNA, 1 March 2017 – The arrest of a Die Welt journalist in Turkey is yet another reminder of the current critical situation of media freedom and free expression in that country, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said today...
OSCE media freedom representative welcomes several provisions of draft media law in Malta, encourages further discussions
Publishing date: 1 March 2017
What we do: Media laws
Location: Malta
VIENNA, 1 March 2017 – Dunja Mijatović, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, today presented a legal analysis on the draft Media and Defamation Act commissioned by her Office...