OSCE media freedom representative says journalists need free and safe access to Georgia's South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions

VIENNA, 22 September 2008 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, called today for journalists' safe access to the crisis regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, now controlled by Russian forces, and urged unbiased reporting on all sides.

"The war in Georgia has claimed the lives of professionals dedicated to inform the public, in addition to those of innocent civilian victims. I would like to express my condolences to the families of the journalists who were killed and wounded during the conflict," said Haraszti.

Grigol Chikhladze, the head of Alania TV, Alexander Klimchuk, the head of the Causasus Images Agency and correspondent for Itar-Tass, were killed on 10 August in Tskhinvali, and Stan Storimans, a cameraman with the Dutch RTL Nieuws died in Gori on 12 August. The journalists injured included at least five Russians, two Georgians, two Turkish, a Dutch, an Israeli, and an American.

"Now that the armed conflict is over, it is time to grant full access for journalists to the crisis regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. All undue limitations on entry for the media should be lifted," added Haraszti.

Haraszti referred to reports that access to South Ossetia and Abkhazia remains selectively restricted for the media. Georgian and international journalists are still not able to enter the crisis regions. The only reported exception was made for the Georgian journalists who accompanied Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on his visit to Sukhumi and Tskhinvali on 14 and 15 September.

Commenting on mutual blockage of Georgian and Russian Internet sites and television channels during the conflict, Haraszti said: "The blockage has naturally stopped now that the conflict is over. More problematic is that television on all sides seems to still be imbued with guided or biased information."

Haraszti emphasized the need for unbiased, independent reporting on the situation, saying: "The post-Yugoslav wars have demonstrated what devastation propagandistic coverage and hateful comments can cause between nations. Investigating claims of genocide, reporting on the plight of civilian victims, documenting demolished villages and visiting refugees are best done by independent reporters, and what they need is not guided tours but free and safe access."