OSCE: Freedom of the Media and Democracy Can’t Exist Without Each Other

Internet, social media, website (Free Image)

Head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Serbia Jan Braathu said that 29 years after a decision was made to celebrate the World Press Freedom Day on May 3, “journalists all over the world continue to face complex threats and challenges in exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression and providing comprehensive, timely and truthful information for citizens, placing the interest of the public above all other interests.”

“The OSCE follows carefully developments in the trial for the 1999 murder of Slavko Curuvija before the Appellate Court in Belgrade. After 24 years and two re-trials the OSCE expects a credible final verdict based on facts and evidence obtained during the trial that has taken nearly a decade,” Braathu said in an article he wrote for the Politika daily, published on May 3.

The OSCE mission chief said that “Only by joining forces and working together can we create a society in which journalists can, without fear for their own and the safety of their families, inform citizens on issues of public importance in a professional, objective and ethical manner.”