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UK
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AEJ Media Freedom
Representative’s Report for the Maastricht Congress 2009 |
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By William Horsley Overview Regaining the AEJ's Observer status with the CDMC and developing close
relations with the CoE were among the main goals set when the AEJ Assembly
voted in Dublin in 2007 to support the work of an AEJ Media Freedom Rep, and
confirmed me in the position. I am pleased to report that those goals have been
achieved. In the past year the AEJ has played an active and sometimes central
part in Council of Europe activities for freedom of expression in the media: In May, on behalf of the AEJ, I tabled an amendment at the CoE's
ministerial meeting on media in Reykjavik, Iceland, which led to the adoption
of a text in which member states pledged to conduct regular reviews of their
anti-terrorism laws and practices to ensure they confirm with CoE standards. I was commissioned by the CoE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) to write a
wide-ranging report entitled "Respect for Media Freedom" detailing
murders and assaults on journalists, and other severe violations of media
freedom, in Europe over the past three years. The report was welcomed by the
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly when I presented it in the
Luxembourg Parliament in October. In March and October I attended scheduled sessions of the CoE's
Steering Comittee on Media (CDMC) in Strasbourg. CoE Media Ministers meeting in Reykjavik The conference, at the end of May, focused on "A New Notion of
Media?", internet governance, and a resolution on anti-terrorism
measures and their effect on freedom of expression. Details are on the CoE website. I also took part in a high-level meeting in Reykjavik of the Forum of
NGOs, including other leading media and human rights groups as well as the
AEJ, held one day before the ministers' conference. The Forum exerted
pressure on the ministers on the anti-terrorism issue. The Forum's statement
was widely circulated and publicised at the time. Helen Darbishire of Access
Info Europe later wrote on behalf of the whole Forum to the new CoE
Secretary-General to press for evidence that the resolution pledge on
reviewing anti-terror laws was being implemented. The Sec-Gen's reply was
welcome but not fully satisfying. The Forum, including the AEJ, will remain
engaged on the issue. Respect for media freedom – my report to the Parliamentary
Assembly The "Respect for Media Freedom" report was warmly received
by the parliamentarians on the PACE Media Sub-Committee of the Committee on
Science, Culture and Education. It will be used, with other contributions from
media and human rights NGOs, as a basis for a planned new mechanism for
closer monitoring and "naming and shaming" member states that
persistently allow persecution and violence against journalists. If all goes
to plan, the PACE may pass a resolution about next January to spell out their
next steps and press the Committee of Ministers to put more political
commitment into the issues. At the Luxembourg meeting on 26 October the Parliamentary Assembly
members also formally received and welcomed Hans-Martin Tillack, who
presented the European Charter on Freedom of the Press. The Charter is open
for signature to any AEJ members or sections who wish to do so individually.
Earlier this year it was approved by the European Commission's Commissioner
for the Media, Viviane Reding. Details and the full text of the report
are on the Parliamentary Assembly's website. World Press Freedom Day 2009 Many AEJ sections organised or took part in special events to
mark World Press Freedom Day on or around 3 May this year. These were among the
sections that sent in reports for the AEJ website: Armenia: A meeting and book launch for the
publication of a new book on investigative journalism by AEJ Section founder
Edik Baghdasaryan. |
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Belgium: A meeting in Brussels on "Two Views
on Dangers to Media Freedom" with presentations by Tornjorn Froynes, the
CoE Ambassador to the EU, and me, as AEJ Media Freedom Rep. Italy: A gathering of journalists on the theme
of the universal right to freedom of the press. Serbia: A series of events including a roundtable
discussion, highlighting the deep concern of journalists at the ongoing
failure of the authorities to bring to justice to those responsible for the
deaths of three journalists. UK: A video-streamed debate at
London's Frontline Club on the theme of governments' attempts to control the
international media in times of war. Participants included Dr Jamie Shea,
NATO Head of Strategy. Council of Europe Anti-Discrimination and the Media Campaign Zdenko Duka, Croatia, was the AEJ Representative during the Council of
Europe meetings in Strasbourg about the campaign, Speak
Out Against Discrimination. Many representatives of journalist
associations, press councils, media regulatory bodies, radio and television
networks, media researchers and owners, as well as of minority organisations,
gathered at the international symposium on journalism and information in
early October. The goal was the promotion of diversity, media promotion of
ethnic and other minorities, introduction of educational media minorities
programmes, and programmes for easier access to employment for minorities. The AEJ earlier submitted written reports on this issue from
our Armenian, Croatian, Polish, Turkish and UK sections, with a further
report from Russia specially written at our request by Anna Sevortian of the
Moscow Centre for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights. Other activities and website news items In November 2008 the
AEJ sent a letter to President Sarkissian of Armenia calling urgently for a
full and effective investigation into an assault on AEJ member Eduk
Baghdasaryan, and the country's fulfilment to of its international commitment
to do everything possible to bring to justice those guilty for all assaults
on journalists. In August 2009 an
AEJ website item registered a landmark press freedom victory in Ireland. The
Supreme Court ruled in favour of the editor and a reporter of the Irish
Times, who had refused a demand to reveal their sources for an article about
an investigation into the financial affairs of former Prime Minister Bertie
Aherne. Also in August 2009, the AEJ Media Freedom Rep wrote to the UNHCR
Office in Turkey calling for all possible support to be given to the appeal
of Mrs Delbar Tavakoli Vaskas, an experienced Iranian journalist who fled her
country for fear of persecution, to be granted asylum. This followed a
similar message from the AEJ Turkish section. NEW: A report on media freedom problems in Ukraine by AEJ contact Arthur
Rudzintsky. Future outlook The AEJ session with CoE Human Rights Commissioner Hammarberg at the
Maastricht Congress is a good opportunity to establish closer links with his
office and the CoE as a whole, on issues of media freedom and independence. Several sections have submitted questions and points to be raised with
Mr Hammarberg – including cases of violence against journalists, misuse
of libel and defamation laws, media access restrictions and editorial
interference arising from over-concentration of media ownership. These issues
will be tackled in the AEJ's future focus on media freedom. All sections are
urged to play an active part in our surveys and campaigns! |
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