OSCE Representative calls on authorities in Skopje to ensure journalists’ safety; investigate all attacks on journalists

VIENNA, 28 April 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today called on the authorities in Skopje to guarantee a healthy media environment in order to ensure journalists’ safety, following a recent wave of threats and acts of intimidation targeting members of the media across the country.
“These latest threats against journalists are deeply worrying. The media must remain free from intimidation in order to allow for independent, critical, pluralistic voices in society. I call on the authorities to promptly investigate all such attacks,” Mijatović said.
According to media reports, a number of journalists last week were verbally attacked, intimidated, and/or prevented from doing their work in the cities of Skopje and Bitola.
“These incidents only add to the already stifled media environment in the country where recently we have seen the arrest and criminal conviction of a journalist, the labelling of a journalist as a foreign agent, death threats, and many acts of intimidation. This trend must be reversed,” Mijatović said.
The Representative also said that journalists must support each other in their profession.
“The manifested divides in the media community only exasperates these problems. More than ever, there is a bigger need for solidarity of journalists, to respect their profession and strengthen each other.”
On 22 April, the Representative issued a public statement in response to the death threats being made against journalists. The statement is available at www.osce.org/fom/152601.
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.