OSCE media freedom representative visits Council of Europe, discusses joint concerns, co-operation

STRASBOURG, 24 January 2008 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, said today that legal standards established by the Council of Europe (CoE) played an important role in his every day work and helped the Organization's participating States comply with media freedom commitments.

"The Council of Europe's legal standards are a solid base in my work to promote compliance with OSCE's far-reaching media freedom commitments," said Haraszti at the end of his two-day visit to Strasbourg.

"The CoE standards codify the minimum that is expected from a European democracy. Working together is key for the success of both the Council of Europe standards and the OSCE commitments."

Haraszti met with CoE's Secretary General, Terry Davis, the Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, the standing rapporteur and member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Lord Andrew McIntosh, the Director General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs, Philippe Boillat, and other officials.

During talks with Secretary General Davis and human rights commissioner Hammarberg, Haraszti expressed satisfaction with their public statements supporting the decriminalization of defamation. "I have long campaigned for decriminalizing defamation," said Haraszti. "These Council of Europe statements help save journalists from prison."

The topics discussed with PACE rapporteur Lord McIntosh included violence against journalists in countries which are members of both organizations.

Other issues raised during the visit were access to information, abolishing the increased protection of public officials against verbal insult, the right of journalists to protect their confidential sources, and good governance of the Internet.