The informal OSCE Group of Friends on Safety of Journalists called for protection of journalists covering war
On 3 November 2022 in Vienna, at the Permanent Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Lithuania’s Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna, Ambassador Vaidotas Verba speaking on behalf of the informal OSCE Group of Friends on Safety of Journalists, expressed group’s strong support to the work of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Ms Teresa Ribeiro, and her Office, underscoring her clear stance regarding Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine.
In a delivered Joint Statement, the informal Group of Friends stressed that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has put a spotlight on the importance of the protection of journalists and media actors, who despite risks strive to provide us with unbiased, trustworthy, and fact-based information from conflict and war zones. The members of the group have repeated their urgent call to Russia to immediately end their attacks on independent media and to respect the rights of journalists and media workers in accordance with international human rights law, international humanitarian law and OSCE commitments.
Marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (November 2), States participating in the Group of Friends also stressed that threats of violence and attacks against journalists create a climate of fear and is a part of the backsliding of democracy we are witnessing today. Journalists are subjected to countless threats, including kidnapping, torture and other physical attacks, harassment, particularly in the digital sphere, as well as intimidation from public authorities and political leaders. In their statement, the members of the Group of Friends underlined the need to protect journalists and to ensure a safe and enabling environment for independent media, including through proper investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of crimes against journalists and other media actors.
The statement delivered on behalf of the informal OSCE Group of Friends on Safety of Journalists, composed of 16 participating States (Austria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States), can be read here.
