News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE Representative calls for release of Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov in a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
Publishing date: 4 June 2018
VIENNA, 4 June 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his concern about the continued detention of Oleg Sentsov, a writer and film director from Crimea, Ukraine, after sending a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation last week, urging to review the case.
OSCE Representative calls for immediate release of Donetsk journalist Stanislav Aseev one year after his illegal detention
Publishing date: 1 June 2018
VIENNA, 1 June 2018 – One year after the illegal detention of Stanislav Aseev, a blogger and contributor to the Ukrainian Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today reiterated his urgent call for the journalist’s release...
LATEST UPDATE: Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, who was reportedly killed in Kyiv, is alive and well. According to Ukrainian authorities, the incident was part of an ongoing investigation.
Publishing date: 29 May 2018
Latest update: Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, who was reportedly killed in Kyiv, is alive and well. According to Ukrainian authorities, the incident was part of an ongoing investigation. VIENNA, 29 May 2018 – OSCE media freedom representative Harlem Désir today strongly condemned the murder of well-known Russian journalist and writer Arkadiy Babchenko in Kyiv, Ukraine...
OSCE media freedom representative reiterates that foreign media outlets as such should not be included on sanctions lists
Publishing date: 25 May 2018
VIENNA, 25 May 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today reiterated that foreign media outlets and representatives should not be included on sanctions lists, following a recent decision by the Ukrainian authorities with regard to the information agencies RIA Novosti Ukraine and Rossiya Segodnya...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative welcomes dropping of multi-million defamation claims against media outlet in Kyrgyzstan
Publishing date: 21 May 2018
VIENNA, 21 May 2018 – Today the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomed the dropping of defamation claims against the now-defunct Kyrgyz media outlet Zanoza.kg, and its journalists Dina Maslova and Naryn Ayyp, by the former president Almazbek Atambaev...
OSCE Representative raises concern over raid against Russian News Agency and TV today in Ukraine
Publishing date: 15 May 2018
VIENNA, 15 May 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir raised concern today over a raid by security services of Ukraine against Russian state news agency RIA Novosti and TV channel RT offices today in Kyiv as well as the searches of homes of journalists and their arrests...
OSCE representative welcomes decriminalization of defamation in Malta, urges dismissal of civil defamation lawsuits against Caruana Galizia’s heirs
Publishing date: 15 May 2018
VIENNA, 15 May 2018 – Welcoming the entering into force of Malta’s new Media and Defamation Act, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFOM), Harlem Désir, called on the authorities to engage in further legal and policy reforms on civil defamation legislation...