Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
OSCE Representative Ribeiro and Ambassador Aggeler deeply worried about decision to criminalize defamation in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Publishing date: 4 March 2023
VIENNA/SARAJEVO, 4 March 2023- OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, and Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Brian Aggeler, have made the following statement following the BiH’s entity Republika Srpska (RS) Government’s decision to move forward with reinstating the criminal offence of defamation in the RS Criminal Code.
OSCE Media Freedom Representative concludes Third Central Asia Judicial Dialogue
Publishing date: 25 June 2021
VIENNA, 25 June 2021- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, concluded today the Third Central Asia Judicial Dialogue. During the two-day online event, about 45 participants including judges from all five Central Asian countries and international experts, discussed how to protect freedom of expression and freedom of the media while taking into account other human rights and encouraging the exchange of best practices among the judiciaries in the OSCE region.
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media welcomes move to decriminalize defamation in Kazakhstan
Publishing date: 7 May 2020
VIENNA, 7 May 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomed the decision of the lower chamber of the parliament of Kazakhstan to decriminalize defamation...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative welcomes release of Sentsov, Sushchenko and Vyshinsky, thanks both countries for this achievement
Publishing date: 7 September 2019
VIENNA, 7 September 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomed today’s release of Ukrainian film director and writer Oleg Sentsov from Crimea, of the correspondent of the Ukrainian National News Agency, Ukrinform, Roman Sushchenko, and of journalist Kirill Vyshinsky, the chief of the RIA Novosti Ukraina office in Kyiv, as a result of the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine...
Concluding official visit to Turkey, OSCE Media Freedom Representative calls on authorities to urgently reverse the course of media freedom violations
Publishing date: 14 June 2019
ISTANBUL, 14 June 2019- Concluding his four-day official visit to Turkey, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today called on the Turkish authorities to urgently address and reverse current media freedom violations and pressure that journalists face.
In a letter to Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan OSCE Representative calls for release of blogger Mehman Huseynov and dropping of criminal charges against him
Publishing date: 9 January 2019
VIENNA, 9 January 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today in a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, expressed his serious concern about the situation and health condition of the imprisoned blogger and chair of the media NGO Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety, Mehman Huseynov, and called on the authorities to drop new criminal charges brought against him. Huseynov has reportedly been on a hunger strike since late December 2018...
Media freedom Representative welcomes Irish referendum result on blasphemy law, urges decriminalization across OSCE region
Publishing date: 28 October 2018
VIENNA, 28 October 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today welcomed the results of yesterday’s referendum in Ireland calling for a removal of blasphemy provisions from the national Constitution.
OSCE Representative calls on Russia to drop legislative amendments that could undermine freedom of expression and access to information
Publishing date: 21 September 2018
VIENNA, 21 September 2018 – In a letter to the authorities of the Russian Federation the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his concern regarding the proposed amendments to the country’s Code of Administrative Offences and the Criminal Code, which were adopted yesterday in the final reading by the lower house of parliament, the State Duma. The amendments, among other things, strengthen the penalties for the dissemination of ‘false’ information related to defamation and information that affects privacy protection...
OSCE Representative reiterates call to release journalist Roman Sushchenko, following Russian Supreme Court upholding his sentence
Publishing date: 12 September 2018
WARSAW, 12 September 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, said that today’s decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to uphold the sentencing of Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko is deeply disappointing...
OSCE media freedom representative seriously concerned about blocking of Internet in Azerbaijan, urges reform to laws and regulations affecting media
Publishing date: 10 August 2018
VIENNA, 10 August 2018 – Following the recent blocking of news websites due to allegations of defamation in Azerbaijan, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today urgently called on the authorities to reform the laws and regulations affecting media and to encourage pluralistic debate on all issues of public importance, both off– and online...