Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
OSCE Media Freedom Representative concerned over refusal to renew licenses of five regional companies which broadcast 112 Ukraine TV channel
Publishing date: 30 September 2019
VIENNA, 30 September 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his concern today over the decision taken by the media regulator, National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine (the Council), not to renew the digital terrestrial broadcasting licenses of five regional television companies...
Ukrainian court ruling goes against freedom of expression, states OSCE Media Freedom Representative
Publishing date: 7 August 2019
VIENNA, 7 August 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his disappointment today at a court ruling in Ukraine fining Hromadske TV for branding a nationalist organization as “neo-Nazi”...
Murder of Pavel Sheremet must be fully investigated, says OSCE Media Freedom Representative
Publishing date: 19 July 2019
VIENNA, 20 July 2019 – On the third anniversary of the murder of journalist Pavel Sheremet in Ukraine, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today reiterated his call on the Ukrainian authorities to step up their efforts in ending impunity for attacks on and murders of journalists...
OSCE Media Representative deeply shocked by death of journalist Vadim Komarov in Ukraine, calls on authorities to bring perpetrators to justice
Publishing date: 20 June 2019
VIENNA, 20 June 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his deep sorrow following the death of journalist and blogger Vadim Komarov, who died last night in the hospital. He had been in a coma since suffering a violent attack on 4 May in Cherkasy, Ukraine.
OSCE Media Freedom Representative condemns attack on cameraman Vadim Makaryuk in Ukraine, calls on authorities to thoroughly investigate it
Publishing date: 11 June 2019
VIENNA, 11 June 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today condemned the attack on Vadim Makaryuk, a cameraman for the 24th channel and Visti.News portal, and called on the Ukrainian authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative calls on Ukrainian authorities to reverse entry ban for Austrian journalist
Publishing date: 8 March 2019
VIENNA, 8 March 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today called on the Ukrainian authorities to reverse the entry ban to Ukraine imposed on Christian Wehrschütz, a journalist with the Austrian Public Service Broadcaster (ORF)...
OSCE Representative disappointed after third extension to Kirill Vyshinsky’s pre-trial detention in Ukraine, reiterates call for his release
Publishing date: 1 November 2018
VIENNA, 1 November 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his disappointment after a court decision in Ukraine extended for the third time the pre-trial detention of bureau chief of the RIA Novosti Ukraine news agency, Kirill Vyshinsky...
OSCE Representative expresses serious concern about lasting pre-trial detention of journalist Kirill Vyshinsky in Ukraine
Publishing date: 29 October 2018
VIENNA, 29 October 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his serious concern over the lasting pre-trial detention of bureau chief of RIA Novosti Ukraine, Kirill Vyshinsky, which has been extended twice already since July, and hopes that the upcoming court proceeding will lead to his release on 4 November 2018, when his current detention is scheduled to end.
OSCE media freedom representative welcomes decision by European Court of Human Rights to safeguard phone data of Ukrainian journalist
Publishing date: 19 September 2018
VIENNA, 19 September 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomed yesterday’s decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on an interim measure which indicates to the Ukrainian authorities to abstain from accessing the mobile telephone data of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) investigative reporter Natalya Sedletska...
OSCE Representative calls on Ukrainian authorities to respect journalists’ privilege of confidentiality of sources
Publishing date: 5 September 2018
VIENNA, 5 September 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed his concern about a court decision in Kyiv ordering the disclosure of mobile-phone data of a Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) investigative reporter and the host of its Schemes programme, Natalia Sedletska.