OSCE media freedom representative urges authorities in Ukraine and other OSCE participating States to end impunity for murders of journalists
VIENNA, 20 July 2017 – On the first anniversary of the murder of journalist Pavel Sheremet in Ukraine, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today called on the national authorities in all OSCE participating States to do their utmost to end impunity for attacks and murders of journalists.
“Sheremet’s death reminds us all that journalists’ safety needs to be a priority in Ukraine and elsewhere in the OSCE region,” said Désir. “I call on the authorities to protect media freedom by ensuring an effective investigation and to thereby prevent the fear and self-censorship that are instigated through such attacks from festering.”
Sheremet, a journalist working for Radio Vesti and Ukrainska Pravda, was killed in a car explosion on 20 July 2016 in Kyiv (see www.osce.org/fom/255226). In 2002 he was a recipient of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Prize for Journalism and Democracy (www.osce.org/pa/54293).
“Pavel Sheremet was an outstanding journalist and a role model for the young journalists he trained. What is the message today, one year after his murder, for the future of the media in Ukraine? This crime cannot remain unsolved,” said Désir.
Harlem Désir was appointed as the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media on 19 July 2017. The Representative stressed: “Safety of journalists will be a primary objective for my mandate.”
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He 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.