Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

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, 11 April 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern about recent developments in Kazakhstan’s legislation that might restrict media freedom and Internet access...

VIENNA, 8 April 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed deep concern about recent convictions and pending charges against journalists for criminal defamation and insult in Croatia...

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...

Over recent years the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media has reacted on a number of occasions when an OSCE participating States denied entry to journalists from other countries. Following recent instances where journalists from Russia were denied entry into Ukraine, as well as reports of de facto authorities in Crimea denying entry to a number of journalists crossing the border of the peninsula, the Representative would like to restate her position on this issue...

VIENNA, 2 April 2014 – OSCE media freedom representative Dunja Mijatović today condemned an apparent second arson attack on a car owned by Bulgarian television journalist Genka Shikerova and called for the end of impunity for assailants of journalists...

TORONTO, 1 April 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed today deep concern about the violence and intimidation by police against journalists covering the demonstrations which took place in Madrid on Saturday 29 March 2014...

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.

VIENNA, 27 March 2014 – By blocking access to social media platforms Turkey deliberately disregards the fundamental right to freedom of expression and freedom of the media, Dunja Mijatović, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media said today...

VIENNA, 27 March 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today in a letter to Russian Federation Supreme Court Chair Vyacheslav Lebedev welcomed the court’s decision to reinstate Rosbalt news agency’s certificate of registration as a mass media outlet...