Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

VIENNA, 3 April 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his disappointment over the court verdicts handed down today to a number of journalists and writers in the Özgür Gündem trial in Turkey...

VIENNA, 19 February 2019 – Yesterday’s decision to uphold convictions and severe sentences handed down to dozens of Cumhuriyet journalists is a terrible setback and detrimental to Turkey’s commitments to free speech and independent media, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir said today...

VIENNA, 20 September 2018- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today denounced prison sentences handed out to the executives of the Hayatın Sesi TV channel in Turkey...

WARSAW, 12 September 2018- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today strongly condemned the arrest of Austrian journalist Max Zirngast and the continued prosecution of journalists in Turkey.

VIENNA, 2 August 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir today in a letter to the Turkish authorities expressed his concern over recent judicial action launched by the country’s prosecution against two journalists of the Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika...

VIENNA, 9 July 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his concern regarding the law decree issued in Turkey on 8 July, which closed down three newspapers and one TV station, in a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

VIENNA, 7 May 2018 – Following today’s two court hearings against editor and human rights lawyer Eren Keskin as well as several journalists of the now closed Kurdish daily Özgür Gündem, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir expressed deep concerns about the immense pressure exercised on the defendants...

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...

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...

VIENNA, 22 March 2018 – “Today, the Internet is the main platform where pluralistic discussions can still take place in Turkey. Further restricting access to the Internet will critically weaken access to information and online expression,” OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir said today...