Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
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...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative raises concern and calls to end blocking of Bianet and other social media and news sites in Turkey
Publishing date: 6 August 2019
VIENNA, 6 August 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his deep concern today regarding the court ruling that blocked access to 136 news sites and social media accounts in Turkey, following a request made by the Gendarmerie General Command...
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.
High fine threatening closure of online Russian news outlet is detrimental to freedom of media, says OSCE media freedom representative
Publishing date: 27 October 2018
VIENNA, 27 October 2018- Today, following a court decision to impose an extremely high fine on The New Times online news outlet, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, called on authorities of the Russian Federation to protect freedom of the media and preserve pluralism of opinion in the country as an essential element of an open and democratic society.
OSCE Representative condemns severe prison sentences for Zaman journalists, calls for their release
Publishing date: 6 July 2018
VIENNA, 6 July 2018- OSCE Representative on the Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir voiced strong disapproval against today’s court decision to imprison Zaman journalists.
OSCE representative welcomes release of Akın Atalay in Turkey but strongly condemns prison sentences for Cumhuriyet journalists and staff
Publishing date: 26 April 2018
VIENNA, 26 April 2018- While welcoming the acquittal of three Cumhuriyet staff, and the release of CEO Akın Atalay, OSCE media freedom representative Harlem Désir strongly condemned the prison sentences issued by the court in Silivri, Turkey, to the majority of the defendants...
OSCE Representative meets Serbian President Vučić, government, media representatives to discuss media freedom, marks 19th anniversary of murder of journalist Ćuruvija
Publishing date: 11 April 2018
BELGRADE, 11 April 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, met with President Aleksandar Vučić today in Belgrade to discuss media freedom issues in Serbia during a three-day official visit to the country...
OSCE media freedom representative welcomes release of journalist Aziz Orudjev in Azerbaijan
Publishing date: 6 April 2018
VIENNA, 6 April 2018 –OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today welcomed the release of the head of the Internet TV channel Kanal 13 in Azerbaijan...
Blocking of news website and detention of journalists in Kazakhstan of grave concern, says OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
Publishing date: 5 April 2018
VIENNA, 5 April 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today criticized the temporary detention of journalists and editors from Ratel.kz and Forbes Kazakhstan, and the blocking of the Ratel.kz webpage in Kazakhstan...
OSCE media freedom representative Désir calls for release of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi staff, following police raid on newspaper’s offices in Turkey
Publishing date: 29 March 2018
VIENNA, 29 March 2018 – The closure of the Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper and appointing a trustee to head it is a major attack on the independence of this media outlet and another setback to media pluralism in Turkey, said Harlem Désir, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, today following yesterday’s police raid on the newspaper’s office...