By Samantha Jones-
The German ambassador has today a delivered a speech condemning the assault on free speech against journalists by the Russian Federations, following a spate of attacks, including murder, against journalists covering the Ukraine war.
Speaking on behalf of 17 countries, including The Uk the U.S, Canada, Austria, and 13 others, he made reference to’ ” a day the members of the United Nations have collectively devoted to press freedom and to honour the courage of journalists and media actors from all over the OSCE region for their work”. he
Highlighting the right to freedom of expression as exercised by journalists and media actors is crucial to democracy, including the rule of law as well as the protection and promotion of all human rights, he condemned Rissuan aggression against free speech. Without independent, free, and pluralistic media both online and offline, citizens’ ability to hold those in power to account suffers. The ability of journalists to work safely allows all persons to obtain information that can inform and educate and maintain peaceful, inclusive, and equitable societies.
In too many participating States, however, journalists and media actors continue to be harassed, intimidated and even killed. In too many cases, threats of violence and attacks against journalists and media actors are not investigated and prosecuted as thoroughly as we committed to in Milan in 2018. This emboldens the perpetrators of crimes and has a further chilling effect on freedom of expression in our societies.
The United States in collaboration with Media Career Development Network would mark this year’s World Press Freedom Day with multiple events from May 10 to May 27, 2021.
The U.S also said it is committed to advocating for press freedom, freedom of information, and access to factual and accurate reporting provided by independent media which is foundational to transparency and accountability in any democratic society.
Condemning the flagrant and systematic assault on media freedom and independent journalists by the Russian Federation and Belarus, the German ambassador
In the session of the Permanent Council on 7 April, we brought to its attention the cruel fate of journalists and media actors – at least 7 as of now – who have been killed since 24 February in the course of their journalistic work, while covering the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine. Professors Benedek, Bílková, and Sassòli have elaborated on these cases in their report of the Moscow Mechanism, stating that: “There are also many cases where journalists have been detained or abducted by the Russian forces”, and quoting “well documented and verified” NGO reports concerning cases of ill-treatment and use of methods amounting to torture against journalists and media actors.
”We strongly condemn these violent assaults on journalists and media actors as well as all efforts to silence independent media coverage within the Russian Federation itself. We are deeply concerned about the exploitation of the media to spread harmful disinformation and the use of draconian media restrictions, all of which curtail freedom of expression and deprive individuals of their right to access independent news and factual information. We echo the Representative on Freedom of the Media, Ms Ribeiro, who in her statement dated 16 March, warned against “measures taken by [… Russian Federation] authorities that have wiped out media freedom and drastically infringed on the safety of journalists in […Russia]”, qualifying it as “one of the worst declines in media freedom” since the creation of her mandate.
‘We urgently call on the Russian Federation to immediately end its attacks on independent media at home and abroad and to respect the rights of journalists and media actors in accordance with international human rights law, international humanitarian law and OSCE commitments and to cease its massive disinformation campaigns. We commend the courage of all journalists and media actors who, at great personal risk and sacrifice, continue to report the facts and bring Russia’s human rights violations and abuses, as well as war crimes, to light.