News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE Media Freedom Representative Désir and Head of Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina Kavalec concerned about measures against coronavirus “fake news”
Publishing date: 23 March 2020
VIENNA / SARAJEVO, 23 March 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Kathleen Kavalec, expressed their concern today following the announcement of the introduction of new measures against spreading panic and “fake news” regarding the coronavirus in the country.
OSCE Media Freedom Representative concerned about detention of several journalists following their reports on coronavirus crisis in Turkey
Publishing date: 23 March 2020
VIENNA, 23 March 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his concern today over the detention of several journalists in Turkey after they published reports on the coronavirus crisis.
COVID-19: Governments must promote and protect access to and free flow of information during pandemic, say international media freedom experts
Publishing date: 19 March 2020
GENEVA / WASHINGTON / VIENNA, 19 March 2020 – In light of the growing disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the monitors for freedom of expression and freedom of the media for the United Nations, the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights, and the Representative on Freedom of the Media of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe issued the following joint statement:
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media condemns brutal attack on journalist Angelov in Bulgaria, calls on authorities to investigate the crime
Publishing date: 18 March 2020
VIENNA, 18 March 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, condemned today the brutal attack on Bulgarian journalist Slavi Angelov, editor of the weekly newspaper and related website “168 chasa”, in Sofia.
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media welcomes today’s release of journalist Afgan Mukhtarli in Azerbaijan
Publishing date: 17 March 2020
VIENNA, 17 March 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomed today the decision by the authorities in Azerbaijan to free independent journalist Afgan Mukhtarli, who was previously sentenced to six years imprisonment.
OSCE Media Freedom Representative expresses serious concern following indictment on terrorism charges of journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva in Russia
Publishing date: 17 March 2020
VIENNA, 17 March 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his serious concerns today at the ongoing prosecution of Svetlana Prokopyeva in Russia, after the regional prosecutor in Pskov signed, on 13 March, her indictment with grave charges of “publicly justifying terrorism” and submitted it to the Regional Military Court in Moscow. Prokopyeva, a journalist with Radio Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) in Pskov, is a contributor to various other media, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Russian Service.
Urgent need to counter 'fake news' on coronavirus outbreak and make accurate information more accessible for citizens, says OSCE PA’s Mina
Publishing date: 11 March 2020
COPENHAGEN, 11 March 2020 – As public health officials and national governments work to contain the coronavirus outbreak, due diligence must also be shown in countering the spread of disinformation about it, said the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Rapporteur on Disinformation and Propaganda Oscar Mina (San Marino) today...