Newsroom
OSCE condemns all attacks on journalists in Kosovo
Pristina 23 June 2000
PRISTINA, 23 June 2000 - The OSCE Mission in Kosovo condemns the shooting of a Serbian journalist in downtown Pristina earlier this week. The attack was a further example of intimidation of the Serbian community in Kosovo.
The journalist was one of those working for the multi ethnic radio station, Radio Kontact. She and her colleagues have continued to live and work in Pristina despite intimidation and harassment. This shows a real courage and commitment to honest journalism.
"We cannot allow such attacks to take place," said Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Daan Everts. "The freedom of journalists to do their jobs and the freedom of the media are rights which have to be respected."
Unfortunately there is a high level of intimidation of journalists of all ethnicities working across Kosovo. Working in these conditions distorts all journalism and undermines attempts to build a free and democratic media and society.
To try to combat this the OSCE Mission in Kosovo is developing programmes to help create a safer environment for journalists to be able to carry out their duties. If journalists are threatened or attacked they should contact the nearest OSCE media officer to report the incident, OSCE can assist in investigation of such incidents and all information gathered will be treated as confidential.
This gains added impetus as the elections approach and the levels of intimidation inevitably increase. Such harassment or intimidation will be a violation of electoral laws.
But it is already a violation of democratic norms. Journalists play a vital, central role in a democratic society. The OSCE will continue to condemn all attacks on them and work to create an environment in which they need not fear to do their work.
For further information, contact Press and Public Information of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: +381 38 500 162 ext. 118, 218, 260, 342. Satphone: 871 762 009 948. Fax: +381 38 500 188. Satfax: 871 382 425 022.
The journalist was one of those working for the multi ethnic radio station, Radio Kontact. She and her colleagues have continued to live and work in Pristina despite intimidation and harassment. This shows a real courage and commitment to honest journalism.
"We cannot allow such attacks to take place," said Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Daan Everts. "The freedom of journalists to do their jobs and the freedom of the media are rights which have to be respected."
Unfortunately there is a high level of intimidation of journalists of all ethnicities working across Kosovo. Working in these conditions distorts all journalism and undermines attempts to build a free and democratic media and society.
To try to combat this the OSCE Mission in Kosovo is developing programmes to help create a safer environment for journalists to be able to carry out their duties. If journalists are threatened or attacked they should contact the nearest OSCE media officer to report the incident, OSCE can assist in investigation of such incidents and all information gathered will be treated as confidential.
This gains added impetus as the elections approach and the levels of intimidation inevitably increase. Such harassment or intimidation will be a violation of electoral laws.
But it is already a violation of democratic norms. Journalists play a vital, central role in a democratic society. The OSCE will continue to condemn all attacks on them and work to create an environment in which they need not fear to do their work.
For further information, contact Press and Public Information of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: +381 38 500 162 ext. 118, 218, 260, 342. Satphone: 871 762 009 948. Fax: +381 38 500 188. Satfax: 871 382 425 022.