Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
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.
OSCE Media Freedom Representative reiterates call for release of Stanislav Aseev following journalists’ first public appearance since being detained
Publishing date: 23 August 2018
VIENNA, 23 August – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today called for the immediate release of Ukrainian journalist, writer and blogger Stanislav Aseev (Vasin), who appeared on a Russia-24 tv report on 17 August for the first time since the beginning of his detention.
Deportation of journalist from Ukraine to Turkey reason for concern, OSCE media freedom representative says
Publishing date: 19 July 2018
VIENNA, 19 July 2018- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his great concern in a letter to Ukrainian authorities following the recent detention and extradition of a journalist to Turkey.
OSCE Representative raises concerns regarding Ukrainian draft law to counter threats to national security in the information sphere
Publishing date: 6 July 2018
VIENNA, 6 July 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today raised concerns regarding the draft law “On changes to some legislative acts of Ukraine on countering threats to national security in the information sphere”, as it may endanger free access to information online...
Ukrainian journalists and media must be able to express their opinions openly and freely, says OSCE Representative
Publishing date: 5 June 2018
VIENNA, 4 June 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed his concern that the Spokesperson of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine published a list, which includes journalist Miroslava Gongadze and Chair of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine Sergiy Tomilenko, accusing them of being traitors...
LATEST UPDATE: Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, who was reportedly killed in Kyiv, is alive and well. According to Ukrainian authorities, the incident was part of an ongoing investigation.
Publishing date: 29 May 2018
Latest update: Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, who was reportedly killed in Kyiv, is alive and well. According to Ukrainian authorities, the incident was part of an ongoing investigation. VIENNA, 29 May 2018 – OSCE media freedom representative Harlem Désir today strongly condemned the murder of well-known Russian journalist and writer Arkadiy Babchenko in Kyiv, Ukraine...