Impunity for crimes committed against members of the media must stop, journalists’ unions from Russia and Ukraine say at OSCE meeting

VIENNA, 25 February 2015 – Representatives of Ukrainian and Russian journalists’ unions today called for an end to impunity for killings and attacks on journalists, following a meeting in Vienna under the auspices of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. The unions’ representatives also urged all members of the media not to take part in the ongoing information war in the conflict in and around Ukraine.

Opening the meeting, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović, touched upon the deteriorating media freedom situation, noting there has been a decrease in cases of violence against journalists and that all journalists held captive in Ukraine have been released.

“But this can hardly be seen as satisfactory. Much more needs to be done to fight impunity to ensure journalists’ safety and to prevent any act of violence against members of the media,” Mijatović said.

At the meeting the representatives of the unions agreed on a joint declaration in which they called on journalists to persist in exposing all killings and acts of violence against journalists, and to continue putting pressure on the authorities to fully investigate these crimes.

The participants heard a presentation on ethical reporting in conflict by Aidan White, Director of the Ethical Journalism Network and former General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, with contributions from Jim Boumelha, President of the International Federation of Journalists.

Representatives of the National Union of the Journalists of Ukraine, the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine, and the Russian Union of Journalists attended the meeting, along with the International Federation of Journalists, the European Federation of Journalists, the International Press Institute, Reporters without Borders, and the Ethical Journalism Network.

The next meeting with the representatives of the Ukrainian and Russian journalists’ unions is scheduled for mid-April.

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.