Secretary General Jagland: Governments must guarantee media freedom

Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has urged governments to fully respect the right to freedom of expression and to a free press. He warned that journalists still face oppression and censorship in parts of Europe today.

“True democracy only exists when journalists can work freely, without fear of oppression and censorship. Regrettably, we still witness attempts in some areas to control or silence the media and a trend towards self-censorship.

The Council of Europe together with the European Court of Human Rights continue to be strong defenders of freedom of expression, but governments can and must do more to meet their commitments under the Convention.

A key Council of Europe priority is to assist governments in drafting legislation that respects European standards of media freedom and pluralism. I welcome recent initiatives in Hungary and Turkey to revise some of their laws in line with our recommendations.

I invite all member governments to re-assess the situation of media freedom in their countries - both in terms of legislation and of journalistic practice. The Council of Europe stands ready to co-operate and offer its expertise in making any changes that may be necessary."

*  World Press Freedom Day, which is celebrated every year on 3 May, was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993. It is an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, assess the state of press freedom throughout the world, defend the media from attacks on their independence, and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty. This year it celebrates its 20th anniversary. -0-