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Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
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 Media Freedom Representative welcomes landmark judgment in UK on protecting confidentiality of journalistic sources
Publishing date: 8 February 2019
What we do: Media freedom on the internet, Media laws
Location: United Kingdom
VIENNA, 8 February 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today welcomed a court decision in Northern Ireland recognizing journalists’ rights to protect the confidentiality of their sources...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative Désir, Head of OSCE Mission to Montenegro Daviet present legal reviews on draft media and public broadcaster laws
Publishing date: 21 November 2018
What we do: Media laws
Location: Montenegro
VIENNA / PODGORICA, 21 November 2018 – Two legal reviews of Montenegro’s draft Law on media and draft Law on amendments to the Law on the national public broadcaster RTCG, were presented by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Maryse Daviet. The legal reviews were commissioned upon the request of Montenegro’s Ministry of Culture.
OSCE media freedom representative calls for protection of journalists' right to confidential sources in Romania
Publishing date: 13 November 2018
What we do: Media laws
Location: Romania
VIENNA, 13 November 2018- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today sent a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania expressing concern about an investigative journalism organization being requested to reveal its confidential sources, and asking for this request to be withdrawn...
Times of Malta must be able to protect confidential sources, says OSCE media freedom Representative
Publishing date: 11 November 2018
What we do: Media laws
Location: Malta
Vienna, 11 November 2018. Today, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir, called on all authorities to drop the request to the editor of the Times of Malta to disclose a source of information used in a report on a planned takeover of a building project, after the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) made such request to the daily newspaper.
Media freedom Representative welcomes Irish referendum result on blasphemy law, urges decriminalization across OSCE region
Publishing date: 28 October 2018
What we do: Decriminalization of defamation, Media laws
Location: Ireland
VIENNA, 28 October 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today welcomed the results of yesterday’s referendum in Ireland calling for a removal of blasphemy provisions from the national Constitution.
High fine threatening closure of online Russian news outlet is detrimental to freedom of media, says OSCE media freedom representative
Publishing date: 27 October 2018
What we do: Media laws, Media pluralism
Location: Russia
VIENNA, 27 October 2018- Today, following a court decision to impose an extremely high fine on The New Times online news outlet, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, called on authorities of the Russian Federation to protect freedom of the media and preserve pluralism of opinion in the country as an essential element of an open and democratic society.
OSCE Representative calls on Russia to drop legislative amendments that could undermine freedom of expression and access to information
Publishing date: 21 September 2018
What we do: Decriminalization of defamation, Media laws
Location: Russia
VIENNA, 21 September 2018 – In a letter to the authorities of the Russian Federation the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his concern regarding the proposed amendments to the country’s Code of Administrative Offences and the Criminal Code, which were adopted yesterday in the final reading by the lower house of parliament, the State Duma. The amendments, among other things, strengthen the penalties for the dissemination of ‘false’ information related to defamation and information that affects privacy protection...
OSCE Representative concerned over measures against independent media outlets in Belarus, calls on authorities to release detained journalists
Publishing date: 8 August 2018
What we do: Media laws, Safety of journalists
Location: Belarus
VIENNA, 8 August 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed serious concern over the detention of journalists with the Belarusian Tut.by and BelaPAN news agencies, as well as raids of newsrooms and journalists’ homes by law enforcement agents, and the seizure of their equipment...
OSCE media freedom representative concerned over closure of three newspapers and one TV station in Turkey, calls on authorities to restore media pluralism
Publishing date: 9 July 2018
What we do: Media laws
Location: Türkiye
VIENNA, 9 July 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his concern regarding the law decree issued in Turkey on 8 July, which closed down three newspapers and one TV station, in a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.