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Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
OSCE Media Freedom Representative commends arrests in investigation of attack on Olivera Lakić in Montenegro, calls for justice to be served
Publishing date: 19 February 2019
Location: Montenegro
VIENNA, 19 February 2019- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir today commended the arrest of nine persons in Montenegro who the police say are part of a criminal gang that is responsible for a series of crimes including the attack on journalist Olivera Lakić on 8 May last year...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative calls on Azerbaijan to revise state aid system for press and allow for environment favourable to media pluralism
Publishing date: 20 February 2019
Location: Azerbaijan
VIENNA, 20 February 2019 – Following the recent introduction in Azerbaijan of tighter requirements for print media eligible for state funding, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today called on the authorities to focus efforts on developing a favourable media environment...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative reiterates his call on Ukrainian authorities to respect journalists’ right of confidentiality of sources
Publishing date: 20 February 2019
What we do: Safety of journalists
Location: Ukraine
VIENNA, 20 February 2019 – Following the court decision in Kyiv ordering the disclosure of documents of the news portal Novoe Vremya, including the correspondence of one of its journalists, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today reiterated his call on the Ukrainian authorities to respect the right of journalists to protect the confidentiality of their sources.
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Media Freedom Representative mark one year since Ján Kuciak’s murder in Slovakia, call for justice and end to impunity
Publishing date: 20 February 2019
Location: Slovakia
VIENNA, 20 February 2019 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today marked the shocking murder of Slovak investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová one year ago...
OSCE Representative Désir warns about negative implications for media freedom following judicial ruling against journalist in Azerbaijan
Publishing date: 22 February 2019
Location: Azerbaijan
VIENNA, 22 February 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed serious concern over the sentence handed down to the editor of the Bastainfo.com online platform, Mustafa Hajibeyli, in Baku, Azerbaijan...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative raises concerns about short detention of several journalists in Kazakhstan
Publishing date: 27 February 2019
Location: Kazakhstan
VIENNA, 27 February 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today said he is concerned about the detention of several journalists and bloggers who were covering rallies in the cities of Almaty, Zhanaozen and Uralsk in Kazakhstan...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative and UN Special Rapporteur welcome EU initiative to protect whistleblowers, but raise some concerns about draft directive
Publishing date: 5 March 2019
What we do: Media laws
Location: European Union
VIENNA, 5 March 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, together with the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection for the right to freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, today welcomed in a letter sent to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union the initiative of a new directive on protection of whistleblowers, but also expressed a number of potential concerns about the current draft text.
OSCE Representative Désir concerned about numerous lawsuits against journalists in Croatia and disputes involving public service broadcaster HRT
Publishing date: 6 March 2019
Location: Croatia
VIENNA, 6 March 2019- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed his concern about the high number of lawsuits filed against journalists and news outlets by politicians and public officials in Croatia and an ongoing dispute involving the public service broadcaster HRT. Both issues could negatively affect media freedom in Croatia, he warned...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative calls on Ukrainian authorities to reverse entry ban for Austrian journalist
Publishing date: 8 March 2019
Location: Ukraine
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 commends indictment against instigator of murders of journalist Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová in Slovakia
Publishing date: 14 March 2019
What we do: Safety of journalists
Location: Slovakia
VIENNA, 14 March 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today welcomed the bringing of criminal charges against Marian K., an alleged instigator of the murder of the Slovak investigative reporter Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnirova. The alleged instigator had previously threatened the reporter.