Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
OSCE Media Freedom Representative calls on Russian authorities to abandon practice of designating journalists and media outlets as ‘foreign agents’
Publishing date: 4 October 2021
VIENNA, 4 October 2021 – Amid continued designation of journalists and media outlets as ‘foreign agents’ in the Russian Federation, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro today reiterated her grave concern regarding this controversial practice and called on the authorities to abandon it.
OSCE Media Freedom Representative expresses grave concern about dangerous effects of ‘foreign agent’ legislation on media freedom in Russia
Publishing date: 24 August 2021
VIENNA, 24 August 2021 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro today expressed her grave concern regarding the expanding practice by Russian authorities to designate media outlets and journalists as ‘foreign agents’.
OSCE Media Freedom Representative Harlem Désir dismayed by court verdict against journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva in Russia
Publishing date: 6 July 2020
VIENNA, 6 July 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his serious dismay today at the court verdict against journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva in Russia...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative reiterates concern over continued detention of Russian journalist Abdulmumin Gadzhiev, calls for his release
Publishing date: 14 May 2020
VIENNA, 14 May 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, reiterated today his concern over the continued detention of Abdulmumin Gadzhiev, a journalist and editor with the independent newspaper Chernovik, in Makhachkala, Republic of Dagestan after the extension of his pre-trial detention...
OSCE Representative Désir concerned by several cases of restrictions on media publication linked to “false information” on COVID-19 in Russia
Publishing date: 2 May 2020
VIENNA, 2 May 2020 – Following recent restrictions on several media in the Russian Federation, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, reiterated today his call on the Russian authorities to take into greater consideration the principles of necessity and proportionality when regulating the media and journalists’ activities...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative concerned by the impact of coronavirus response law on work of media in Russia
Publishing date: 31 March 2020
VIENNA, 31 March 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his deep concerns today about amendments to the Russian legislation, imposing up to five years in prison, for spreading false information about the COVID-19 pandemic...
Сoronavirus response should not impede the work of the media in Russia, says OSCE Media Freedom Representative
Publishing date: 24 March 2020
VIENNA, 24 March 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his concerns today about recent interferences regarding media content by the media regulatory agency in Russia, Roskomnadzor, in the context of the fight against disinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
OSCE Media Freedom Representative expresses serious concern following indictment on terrorism charges of journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva in Russia
Publishing date: 17 March 2020
VIENNA, 17 March 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his serious concerns today at the ongoing prosecution of Svetlana Prokopyeva in Russia, after the regional prosecutor in Pskov signed, on 13 March, her indictment with grave charges of “publicly justifying terrorism” and submitted it to the Regional Military Court in Moscow. Prokopyeva, a journalist with Radio Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) in Pskov, is a contributor to various other media, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Russian Service.
Attack against journalist and lawyer in Grozny, Russia, extremely concerning, OSCE Media Freedom Representative urges full and thorough investigation
Publishing date: 7 February 2020
VIENNA, 7 February 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, strongly condemned today the attack on Novaya Gazeta’s investigative journalist Elena Milashina and lawyer Marina Dubrovina in Grozny, the capital of the Chechen republic of the Russian Federation.
OSCE Representative Désir concerned by enactment of law broadening “foreign agent” status to individuals in Russia
Publishing date: 3 December 2019
VIENNA, 3 December 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his concerns today regarding the enactment of the law which extends the status of a “foreign agent” to private individuals, and introduces new restrictions on the distribution of information from media outlets categorized as “foreign agents” (known as “media outlets–foreign agents”).