Abuse of press insignia unacceptable, says OSCE Representative following incident in eastern Ukraine

VIENNA, 31 October 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today condemned the recent incident of an abuse of press insignia in eastern Ukraine.

On 30 October, Russian actor Mikhail Porechenkov visited Donetsk, Ukraine. Various media outlets published video footage of him surrounded by combatants, firing a large-calibre machine gun while wearing a helmet clearly marked with press insignia.

“This is a deplorable and shameful abuse of press insignia. It puts journalists in conflict zones at grave risk and it is detrimental to all efforts made to protect members of the media”, Mijatović said.

“Journalists’ safety is paramount and press insignias are one of the few measures they can take to ensure their safety in conflict zones.”

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.