Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

SAMARKAND, 6 March 2020- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, concluded today the second Central Asia Judicial Dialogue in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. During this two-day event, over 40 judges from the region discussed how to protect freedom of expression while combating violent extremism, terrorism and hate speech. The participants also discussed the decriminalization of defamation.

VIENNA, 2 March 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, published today a legal analysis of the Draft Law of Ukraine “On Media”. This draft law was recently registered in the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament)...

VIENNA, 28 February 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, called today on the Ukrainian authorities to urgently find an effective solution to lift the blocking of the bank accounts of the public broadcasting company of Ukraine, UA:PBC.

VIENNA, 6 February 2020 – Following yesterday’s search of the editorial office of 1+1 TV channel, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, called on the Ukrainian authorities to ensure that media activities are not obstructed and confidentiality of sources is respected.

VIENNA, 23 January 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed today his concerns about several provisions in Ukraine’s new draft law on disinformation...

VIENNA, 13 December 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his hope that the perpetrators of, and masterminds behind, the murder of the journalist Pavlo Sheremet will soon be identified and brought to justice, after the Ukrainian authorities declared five persons to be suspects...

VIENNA, 22 October 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today strongly condemned the imprisonment of Ukrainian journalist, writer and blogger Stanislav Aseev, who goes by the pen name Vasin...

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...

VIENNA, 7 September 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomed today’s release of Ukrainian film director and writer Oleg Sentsov from Crimea, of the correspondent of the Ukrainian National News Agency, Ukrinform, Roman Sushchenko, and of journalist Kirill Vyshinsky, the chief of the RIA Novosti Ukraina office in Kyiv, as a result of the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine...

VIENNA, 28 August 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomed today’s court ruling in Ukraine to release from pre-trial detention journalist Kirill Vyshinsky, the chief of the RIA Novosti Ukraina office in Kyiv...