📋 Tender Overview
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro reiterated her concern regarding Ukraines practice of applying sanctions against media outlets.Ribeiros comments follow the decision made on 11 February 2022 by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to impose five-year sanctions against several legal entities resulting in the effective banning of access to the television channel Nash. The countrys President Volodymyr Zelensky has enacted the decision the same day.I want to underline once more that media freedom is dependent on a healthy vibrant and competitive landscape including voices that provide a variety of views Ribeiro said. Any sanctions on media should be applied with restraint and should be subject to careful scrutiny accompanied by effective procedural safeguards to prevent undue interference.The Representative drew attention to the participating States longstanding commitments regarding the OSCEs human dimension as well as their international obligations.Freedom of expression and media freedom should never serve as a carte blanche for propaganda for war and illegal hate speech it is universally recognized that it is not an absolute right Ribeiro stated. At the same time it cannot be overemphasized that these freedoms constitute one of the essential foundations of any democratic society. To be justified restrictions must always meet a high barrier and should always be under the scrutiny of a functioning independent court system.Ribeiro also added that authorities should strive to promote more debate and an open diverse and dynamic media environment also on issues that they deem foreign or not correct. Finally the Representative pointed out a similar issue she addressed in August 2021.
