Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

VIENNA, 24 April 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic today warned about the continuing attacks on journalists and deterioration of media freedom environment in eastern Ukraine with new incidents involving media representatives...

VIENNA, 22 April 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed deep concern about new cases of detention and attacks on journalists in eastern Ukraine...

VIENNA, 17 April 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today condemned the seizure of the television tower in Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine...

ODESA, 16 April 2014- Ending her three-day visit to Ukraine, OSCE media freedom representative Dunja Mijatović today said that the media freedom situation in Ukraine has reached a very dangerous stage, and she alerted OSCE participating States that unless this trend is reversed it could contribute to the deterioration of the security situation.

As the current crisis in and around Ukraine demonstrates, propaganda and deterioration of media freedom often go together to fuel a conflict, and once it starts they contribute to its escalation. The need to stop propaganda is frequently being used as a reason for blocking and jamming television and radio signals or imposing other restrictions to freedom of expression and freedom of the media. Taking into consideration the broadness and vagueness of the term propaganda, and its direct link to political speech, its blank prohibition would violate international standards for the protection of free expression and free media.

VIENNA, 8 April 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed her concern about the deteriorating media freedom situation, especially regarding journalists’ safety, in eastern Ukraine...

TORONTO, 28 March 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today welcomed the adoption by Verkhovna Rada of amendments to the Ukrainian legislation introducing long-awaited and competent democratic mechanisms of access to information.

CHISINAU, 19 March 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed her outrage about the attack by a group of members of the Ukrainian political party “Svoboda”, including some members of Verkhovna Rada, on the acting President of National Television Company of Ukraine (NTU), forcing him to resign...

VIENNA, 11 March 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern about demands that cable operators in Ukraine stop transmitting certain Russian television channels...

VIENNA, 10 March 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today called for the immediate release of the two Ukrainian journalists who were kidnapped on 9 March...