Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
OSCE representative Désir calls on Turkish authorities to ensure implementation of Constitutional Court’s decision to release journalists
Publishing date: 17 January 2018
VIENNA, 17 January 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today, in a letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, called on the Turkish authorities to ensure that the Constitutional Court decision in the cases of imprisoned journalists Mehmet Altan and Şahin Alpay is implemented and that the journalists are released without any further delay...
OSCE representative Désir welcomes milestone ruling of Constitutional Court releasing Alpay and Altan, urges Turkey to release all journalists
Publishing date: 11 January 2018
VIENNA, 11 January 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir welcomed today’s ruling by Turkey’s Constitutional Court to release two journalists, calling it a step of vital importance in improving media freedom and freedom of expression in the country...
OSCE media freedom representative protests against continued imprisonment in Cumhuriyet trial, calls on Turkey to stop silencing journalists
Publishing date: 25 December 2017
VIENNA, 25 December 2017- Following the 5th hearing in the Cumhuriyet trial, OSCE media freedom representative Harlem Désir repeated his earlier resolute calls on Turkey to free all journalists in prison and drop charges against them...
Following prosecution’s demand for life imprisonment, OSCE media freedom representative urges Turkey to release journalists
Publishing date: 14 December 2017
VIENNA, 13 December 2017 – Following prosecution’s demand for life sentences and court decisions to continue the detention of several journalists facing life in prison, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today repeated his call for Turkey to release imprisoned journalists...
Welcoming release of Kadri Gürsel, OSCE media freedom representative calls for release of imprisoned Cumhuriyet journalists in Turkey
Publishing date: 26 September 2017
VIENNA, 26 September 2017 – “I welcome last night's release of Kadri Gürsel after almost a year in prison. The charges against him must also be dropped as a matter of urgency,” OSCE media freedom representative Harlem Désir said today.
OSCE Media Freedom Representative condemns murder of American-Syrian journalist Halla Barakat and her mother Orouba Barakat
Publishing date: 23 September 2017
VIENNA, 23 September 2017 – “Brutal killing of an American-Syrian journalist and her mother, both reporting about the situation in Syria, highlights the dangers that critical journalists face in their work,” said today OSCE Media Freedom Representative Harlem Désir...
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media welcomes release of French journalist Loup Bureau
Publishing date: 15 September 2017
VIENNA, 15 September 2017 – “I welcome the decision of the court to release Loup Bureau from prison,” said OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir, commenting the discharge of the French journalist from jail in Turkey today. “The next step is to drop all charges. Journalistic work should not be criminalized,” the Representative said.
OSCE and UN media freedom watchdogs call on Turkey to release journalists from prison and remove restrictions on media freedom
Publishing date: 12 September 2017
Warsaw, 12 September 2017- Following last night's court decision denying the release of six Cumhuriyet journalists and executives, Harlem Désir, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and David Kaye, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, emphasized the urgent need to restore media freedom and freedom of expression in Turkey...
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media urges Interpol to carefully consider arrest warrant requests from Turkey
Publishing date: 23 August 2017
VIENNA, 23 August 2017- OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today urged Secretary General of Interpol Jürgen Stock that the international police organization carefully review recent international arrest warrants requested by Turkey...
OSCE media freedom representative calls for immediate release of detained journalists in Turkey
Publishing date: 10 August 2017
VIENNA, 10 August 2017- OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed deep concern regarding the issuance of arrest warrants for 35 journalists and the resulting detention of nine journalists today in Istanbul, Turkey...