Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

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...

VIENNA, 20 March 2018 – “The decision of the European Court of Human Rights shows clearly that the rights to liberty and security, as well as to freedom of expression of two Turkish journalists, Şahin Alpay and Mehmet Altan, have been violated,” the OSCE media freedom representative Harlem Désir said in a reaction on the Strasbourg court ruling...

NEW YORK, 16 March 2018 – “Continuing the detention of Cumhuriyet CEO Akın Atalay, in a trial that has failed to produce proof of wrongdoing by the defendant, is unacceptable and deeply worrying,” OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir said today, hours after the seventh hearing concluded in the Cumhuriyet trial in Silivri, outside of Istanbul.

VIENNA, 9 March 2018- Following the interim court decision in Silivri to release two Cumhuriyet staff members, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir repeated his call to Turkey to release the last imprisoned defendant and drop charges against all 17 defendants of the trial.

VIENNA, 9 March 2018 – Yesterday’s court sentencing against 25 media workers shows the immense pressure to which media are exposed in the country, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir said today.

VIENNA, 9 March 2018 – Yesterday’s court sentencing against 25 media workers shows the immense pressure to which media are exposed in the country, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir said today.

OTTAWA, 28 February 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, yesterday shared a legal review with the Turkish authorities on elements of a bill that, if adopted, could restrict online broadcasting and further limit media pluralism in the country.