Copenhagen shootings: An attack on our core values

Just weeks after the terrorist shootings in Paris, yet another European capital is reeling from deadly attacks on the freedom of speech and on the Jewish community.

Two civilians were killed and five police officers were injured when on the evening of 14 February 2015, a gunman went on the rampage in the Danish capital, first targeting participants of an event called “Art, freedom of speech and blasphemy” and hours later, a synagogue.

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić offered his condolences to the victims. “This is yet another violent attack not only against freedom of expression, but against the core values of OSCE participating States,” he said. >> Read the full statement.

 

A photo posted by OSCE (@osceorg) on Feb 17, 2015 at 1:32am PST

Fundamental freedoms

Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), welcomed the swift action by Danish authorities in the aftermath of the attacks.

“Such attacks are a strong reminder of the need to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms – including the freedom of speech – and for effective responses to all bias, discrimination and violence targeting different communities,” he said.

Freedom of speech

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said she was appalled to see a new attack on freedom of speech while the world is still mourning the victims of Charlie Hebdo.

“While direct calls for violence must be met with the full rigor of the law, we have many tools to fight lesser forms of intolerant speech: We can argue against them, we can make fun of them, we can ignore them and we can also choose to tolerate them, but violence and killing those holding different opinions is unacceptable,” said Mijatović. >> Read the full statement here.

Confronting extremism

Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Spencer Oliver, speaking from the Assembly’s International Secretariat in Copenhagen, urged that “Europe's political and religious leaders must find a way to respond effectively in the face of extremism to safeguard the values that we hold so dear.”

Last month OSCE officials condemned the attacks in Paris as an attack on the freedom of expression, with Dačić saying “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations can never be tolerated or justified.” Since then, the OSCE’s 57 participating States have pledged “to foster non discrimination and tolerance, mutual respect and understanding in our societies.”

The OSCE through its work in combatting terrorism, promoting the freedom of the media and of expression, and fostering tolerance and non-discrimination, will continue to work closely with the participating States to ensure that the core democratic values are protected and upheld.