Journalists' safety in focus at OSCE roundtable meeting in Bishkek

BISHKEK, 6 July 2011 – The safety of journalists, particularly while covering demonstrations, was the topic of a roundtable meeting held today in Bishkek with support from the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

Law-enforcement officers, journalists and human rights defenders discussed how to reduce the risk for attacks against journalists during demonstrations. 

Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said that journalists increasingly were at risk in Kyrgyzstan and highlighted a case in which a television camera crew was attacked in the course of a demonstration on 20 June in Osh.

"Participants in this meeting developed a list of practical measures to present to the government to safeguard the freedom of the media. They also highlighted the need for journalists to have clear guidelines to report in a responsible manner,” he said.

Begaim Usenova, Director of the Media Policy Institute, a non-governmental organization, added: “Journalists must be able to conduct their work in a safe environment. Attacking or threatening journalists because of their profession is a crime.”

The roundtable meeting was part of work to reduce attacks against and intimidation of journalists in Kyrgyzstan ahead the Presidential elections, planned for of the end of 2011. A similar event will be organized on 12 July in Osh.