Military police raid against Czech Television excessive and unacceptable, says OSCE Media Freedom Representative

VIENNA, 16 March 2011 – Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, expressed concern today over a recent raid by the Czech military police on the offices of Czech Television in Prague.

“This is a gravely disproportionate intrusion into the independence of a media outlet, and an unacceptable treatment of the media in a democratic society,” Mijatovic said.

In a letter sent to Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg today, she wrote: “Such action threatens journalists for merely doing their job of reporting about issues of public interest.” 

On 11 March, ten armed and masked military police raided the offices of the public service Czech Television, in search of a report that had led to the dismissal of a former military intelligence head in 2007. The police seized computers, documents, notes, phone logs and other items from the offices.

“I am pleased to see the swift reaction by the authorities, including the announcement by the Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra about starting an investigation into the details of the case,” Mijatovic wrote. “I ask the Government to carry out the investigation in a transparent manner, and help ensure that all confiscated equipment and materials are immediately returned to the media outlet.” 

The Representative also requested that the authorities enhance the protection of journalists who report about public issues.

“Punishing the media for obtaining and publishing confidential information can lead to the media losing its ability to uncover corruption and report wrongdoings,” she warned.

“Journalists, as all civilians, should not be held responsible for the possession or publication of classified information,” she concluded, stressing that it is the task of the officials in charge of protecting classified information to keep these documents secret, and it is the task of the Government to ensure that only such documents are classified which, if published, would threaten key national interests.